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Kong: Relationships between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Psychological Type and Marital Satisfaction, Divorce Proneness, Positive Affect, and Conflict Regulation in Clinic Couples
Original Article
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing 2010; 40(3): 336-348.

Published online: 30 June 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2010.40.3.336

Relationships between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Psychological Type and Marital Satisfaction, Divorce Proneness, Positive Affect, and Conflict Regulation in Clinic Couples

Seong Sook Kong

Professor, School of Nursing, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Kong, Seong Sook. School of Nursing, Soonchunhyang University, 366-1 Ssangyong-dong, Cheonan 330-090, Korea. Tel: 82-41-570-2488, Fax: 82-41-575-9347, kongsun@sch.ac.kr

Received 29 January 2010       Accepted 19 May 2010

Copyright © 2010 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological type and marital satisfaction, divorce proneness, positive affect, and conflict regulation in couple visiting a clinic.

Methods

Couples (n=62) who visited "M" couple clinic participated in the study. Data were collected from March to June 2009 using the Marital Satisfaction Scale, Marital Status Inventory, Positive Affect Inventory, and Conflict Regulation Inventory.

Results

The couples showed no significant differences in marital satisfaction, positive affect, and conflict regulation according to similarities between spouses in MBTI types. However, they showed significant differences in divorce proneness of husband according to a similarity in the Sensing/Intuition indicator. They also showed significant differences in divorce proneness, positive affect, and conflict regulation between the couples for ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) or ESTJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging) types compared to other couples.

Conclusion

When nurses counsel couples, they should understand that differences in psychological type between spouses affects their marital relationship. In addition, nurses should educate couples on the characteristics of each type according to the couple's types and help them to understand each other, especially for couples where one spouse is the ISTJ/ESTJ type. These interventions will improve marital satisfaction and prevent the divorce in these couples.

Keywords: Myers-briggs type indicator, Marital relationship, Divorce, Affect, Marital conflict

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Demographic Characteristics of the Participants (N=62)
jkan-40-336-i001
Table 2
Major Variables of the Couples
jkan-40-336-i002
Table 3
MBTI Psychological Types of the Couples and Marital Satisfaction, Divorce Proneness, Positive Affect, and Conflict Regulation by the MBTI Psychological Types of Each Spouse
jkan-40-336-i003

MBTI=Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; I=Introversion; E=Extraversion; S=Sensing; N=Intuition; T=Thinking; F=Feeling; J=Judging; P=Perceiving.

Table 4
Mean Differences of Marital Satisfaction, Divorce Proneness, Positive Affect, and Conflict Regulation according to Similarities in MBTI Psychological Types of Couple
jkan-40-336-i004

I/E=Introversion/Extraversion; S/N=Sensing/Intuition; T/F=Thinking/Feeling; J/P=Judging/Perceiving.

Table 5
Mean Differences of Major Variables between ISTJ/ESTJ Type Couples and other Type Couples
jkan-40-336-i005

I=Introversion; E=Extraversion; S=Sensing; T=Thinking; J=Judging; W=Wife; H=Husband.

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