The Mediating Effects of Empathy and Communication on the Relationship Between Differentiation of Self and Marital Satisfaction

This study explored the mediating roles of empathy and couple communication in the relationship between self-differentiation and marital satisfaction among married individuals. The sample comprised 226 married adults. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires that assessed self-differentiation, empathy, couple communication, and marital satisfaction, and were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 22.0 via confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that self-differentiation positively influenced both couple communication and marital satisfaction. While empathy significantly predicted all subtypes of couple communication, it did not have a direct effect on marital satisfaction. Among the various subtypes of couple communication, only mutual understanding was found to significantly predict marital satisfaction. Additionally, empathy did not significantly mediate the relationship between self-differentiation and couple communication; however, couple communication did significantly mediate the relationship between empathy and marital satisfaction. Finally, the sequential indirect effect of self-differentiation on marital satisfaction through empathy and couple communication was significant. These results indicate that self-differentiation enhances marital satisfaction both directly and through relational processes, with mutual understanding emerging as a particularly important aspect of communication linked to marital satisfaction.