Liens entre l’estime de soi et la relation conjugale

Introduction

An extensive literature shows that self-esteem is a variable strongly at stake in social functioning and, in particular, in relationships within the couple. It would thus promote satisfaction, confidence in the esteem of the partner of interaction, social well-being and, in return, personal well-being.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the links between women's and men's self-esteem and several components of their conjugal relationship.

Method

Two-hundred and eight participants (55% women, 45% men) filled out a booklet of questionnaires assessing specific attachment to the spouse, perception of conjugal intimacy, self-esteem, and couple esteem – the latter being an exploratory measure created for this study.

Results

Self-esteem is high for both sexes. It relates positively to attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety strategies independently of the sex of the participants. Similarly, it is positively linked with intimacy and couple esteem scores but only for men.

Conclusion

While self-esteem seems to be linked to different dimensions of couple relationship, these links differ partially depending on the gender of the person. This result is discussed in terms of suggestions for research and consideration in couple therapy. The assessment of couple esteem also shows promise for the study of couple relationships. This measure will need to be further explored to evaluate its relevance.