Dowry and Marital Coping: Predictors of Marital Satisfaction in Pakistani Women

Abstract The purpose of the current study was to determine how dowry and marital coping affected marital satisfaction among Pakistani married women. A cross sectional survey was conducted to collect data from both working (n = 249) and non-working (n = 237) participants. Their age at marriage ranging from 16 to 38 years and the length of marriage of within or maximum 7 years and having at least one child. Dowry Scale (Sultana, 2002), Marital Coping Inventory (Bowman, 1990) and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (Fowers & Olson, 1993) were utilized. When the study variables were analyzed, significant negative association between negative impact of dowry and marital satisfaction and also significant relationship among dimensions of marital coping and marital satisfaction. Hierarchical Regression analyses indicated that negative impact of dowry is the stronger predictor of marital satisfaction. Step wise regression analyses indicated marital coping explained 38% variance in marital satisfaction. Initial investigations disregarded the influence of demographic factors (such as age at marriage, monthly income, number of children, employment status, and kind of marriage) on marital satisfaction. The present research contributes significantly to the growing body of knowledge on the causes and mechanisms those are previously unconsidered determinants of marital satisfaction.