Presenting a Marital Intimacy Model based on Emotional Self-Awareness, Emotional Empathy, Perceived Fairness and Interpersonal Mindfulness with the Mediating Role of Life Satisfaction and Marital Burnout among Childless Couples

Abstract

Introduction and Aim: Marital intimacy plays an important role in maintaining and improving family functioning. Therefore, the aim of this study was presenting a model of marital intimacy based on emotional self-awareness, emotional empathy, perceived fairness and interpersonal mindfulness with the mediating role of life satisfaction and marital burnout among childless couples.

Methodology: This study in terms of its objective was applied and in terms of the implementation method was descriptive‑correlational. The statistical population consisted of childless couples who referred to infertility centers of Tehran city in 2025 year, which from them 200 individuals were selected by purposive sampling method. The research instruments included the Marital Intimacy Scale (Walker & Thompson, 1983), Emotional Self‑Awareness Scale (Grant et al., 2002), Emotional Empathy Questionnaire (Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972), Perceived Fairness Questionnaire (Perry, 2004), Interpersonal Mindfulness Scale (Pratscher et al., 2019), Life Satisfaction Scale (Diener et al., 1985) and Couple Burnout Questionnaire (Pines, 1996). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling methods in SPSS and AMOS software.

Findings: The findings indicated that the direct effect of emotional empathy, perceived fairness and interpersonal mindfulness on life satisfaction and marital intimacy, the direct effect of emotional self-awareness, emotional empathy and perceived fairness on marital burnout and the direct effect of life satisfaction and marital burnout on marital intimacy were significant (P<0.05), but the direct effect of emotional self-awareness on life satisfaction and the direct effect of interpersonal mindfulness on marital burnout were not significant (P>0.05). Also, the indirect effect of emotional empathy and interpersonal mindfulness mediated by life satisfaction on marital intimacy, and the indirect effect of emotional self-awareness, emotional empathy and perceived fairness mediated by marital burnout on marital intimacy were significant (P<0.05), but the indirect effect of emotional self-awareness and perceived fairness mediated by life satisfaction on marital intimacy and the indirect effect of interpersonal mindfulness mediated by marital burnout on marital intimacy were not significant (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Based on the results, to improve marital intimacy can be provided a conducive environment for increasing emotional self-awareness, emotional empathy, perceived fairness, interpersonal mindfulness and life satisfaction and decreasing marital burnout.