Modeling the Causal Relationships of Marital Quality Based on Love Styles with the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence among Married Men and Women in Tabriz

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the structural relationships between love styles and marital quality with the mediating role of emotional intelligence among married men and women in Tabriz. This study employed a descriptive-correlational design based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of married men and women in Tabriz who had been married for at least three years. A total of 389 participants were selected through convenience sampling according to Krejcie and Morgan’s table. Data collection tools included the Fletcher Marital Quality Questionnaire, Sternberg’s Love Styles Questionnaire, and the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18 and AMOS version 22 through Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that intimate love style (β=0.19, p<0.001), passionate love style (β=0.17, p<0.001), commitment love style (β=0.14, p<0.001), and emotional intelligence (β=0.45, p<0.001) had significant positive direct effects on marital quality. Love styles also showed significant positive effects on emotional intelligence. Bootstrap analysis demonstrated that emotional intelligence significantly mediated the relationship between love styles and marital quality. Overall, the study variables explained 41% of the variance in marital quality and 29% of the variance in emotional intelligence. Model fit indices demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI=0.91, RMSEA=0.074). The results suggest that love styles can improve marital quality both directly and indirectly through enhancing emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence emerged as the strongest direct predictor of marital quality, while intimate love style had the greatest indirect effect. Therefore, interventions focused on strengthening emotional intelligence and healthy love styles may contribute to improving marital relationships and increasing couples’ marital satisfaction.