Culture, sex-role, mutual social support and adult attachment as predictors of Korean couples' relationship satisfaction

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among adult attachment, caregiving, perceived social support, seeking social support and couple satisfaction of Korean college students, and the moderator effects of cultural variables of sex role and collectivism-individualism. In study 1, Experience of Close Relationship Scale (ECRS), Social Provisions Scale (SPS), and Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) were translated into Korean, and the reliability and validity for the translated scales were tested. Data were collected from 26 bilingual Korean international students in the U.S. The results suggested that Korean versions of scales were reliable and equivalent in reliability to original English versions scales, and the constructs of the translated Korean versions of scales were quite valid. In study 2 examining the research problems of this study, data from 242 Korean college students in current romantic relationship were used for analysis. The relationship between adult attachment and relationship satisfaction was mediated by the perceived social support from partners, but not by the perceived social support from others. Adult attachment was also related to the support seeking from partner. However, the moderator effects of sex role and collectivism-individualism were not detected. Data from 55 couples showed that female partner's caregiving was related to male counterpart's relationship satisfaction; while male partner's caregiving was not related to female counterpart's relationship satisfaction.