Relationship of Social Maturity with Sexual Satisfaction, Subjective Well-being, and Controlling Behaviors in Couples: With an Emphasis on the Mediating Role of Marital Commitment

Background: Subjective well-being and satisfaction with life can help individuals to achieve more success in their lives and enjoy better supportive social relationships and higher levels of physical and mental health. The present study aimed to determine the relationship of social maturity with sexual satisfaction, well-being, and controlling behaviors through the mediating role of marital commitment in couples. Methods: The statistical population in this cross-sectional, correlational study consisted of all couples in Tehran, Iran, in 2019, of whom 370 people were selected as the sample using multi-stage cluster sampling. The research tools included Rao's Social Maturity Scale (RSMS), the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS), the Subjective Well-being Scale (SWS), the Controlling Behaviors Scale (CBS), and the Dimensions of Commitment Inventory (DCI). The obtained data were statistically analyzed by employing structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS-23 and LISREL-8.8. Results: The results showed a positive relationship between sexual satisfaction and social maturity and also between subjective well-being and social maturity, both mediated by marital commitment (P<0.001). However, there was a negative relationship between controlling behaviors and social maturity, mediated by marital commitment (P<0.001). Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, the proposed model had a good fit. Therefore, taking the findings of this study into account helps researchers and therapists design more appropriate therapies.