Journal of Applied Psychological Research

Journal of Applied Psychological Research

The Mediating Roles of Self-Coherence and Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship Between Marital Dissatisfaction and Attitudes Toward Divorce Among Women Seeking Divorce

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ebrahim Nameni 1
Maryam Abbasi 2
Zahra Ghasemian 2
Melika Ghorbani 2
1 Associate Professor of Counseling, Department of Educational Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University
2 Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Hakim Sabzevari University
10.22059/japr.2026.398570.645301
Abstract
The present study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-coherence and cognitive flexibility in the relationship between marital dissatisfaction and attitudes toward divorce among women seeking divorce. The study employed a descriptive correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all women seeking divorce who referred to counseling clinics in Sabzevar during the winter of 2024, from whom 205 women were selected as the study sample using convenience sampling. The variables were assessed using the Divorce Attitude Scale (DAS), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC), and Marital Burnout Questionnaire (MBQ). Descriptive and correlational analyses were conducted using SPSS version 22, and structural equation modeling was performed using AMOS version 22. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that marital dissatisfaction was positively and significantly associated with attitudes toward divorce among women seeking divorce (p<.05). The results of the structural equation modeling showed that marital dissatisfaction had a significant indirect effect on attitudes toward divorce through self-coherence (p<.05); however, its indirect effect on attitudes toward divorce through cognitive flexibility was not significant (p>.05). Overall, the model, including marital dissatisfaction, self-coherence, and cognitive flexibility, explained 68% of the variance in attitudes toward divorce. Based on these findings, self-coherence plays a mediating role in the relationship between marital dissatisfaction and attitudes toward divorce, whereas no evidence was found for a mediating role of cognitive flexibility in this relationship.
Keywords
Attitude Towards Divorce
Cognitive Flexibility
Marital Dissatisfaction
Self-Coherence
Women Seeking Divorce
Journal of Applied Psychological Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 16 September 2026

  • Receive Date 19 July 2025
  • Revise Date 19 October 2025
  • Accept Date 04 November 2025
  • First Publish Date 16 September 2026
  • Publish Date 16 September 2026