Quiet compromises: Mediating effects of self-silencing and social approval in mindful relationships

This study examines the influence of mindfulness on marital adjustment among working married women in Pakistan, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of self-silencing and need for social approval. Drawing upon the frameworks of attachment theory and mindfulness-based relational models, the study employed a cross-sectional survey design using a purposive sample of 282 participants. Standardized instruments—MAAS, NFSA, STSS, and RDAS—were used to measure the constructs. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS v22 and Smart PLS 4. The findings reveal that mindfulness has a significant positive effect on marital adjustment. While mindfulness and need for social approval were not significantly related, need for social approval positively predicted self-silencing, which in turn negatively impacted marital adjustment. Both self-silencing and need for social approval individually and jointly mediated the relationship between mindfulness and marital adjustment, although the effects were partial. These results highlight the complex psychological mechanisms influencing marital satisfaction, particularly in collectivist cultural settings, and suggest the need for culturally sensitive interventions focusing on self-awareness, emotional expression, and autonomy in marital relationships.