Background: Attitudes toward commitment and standards of an intimate relationship can change from one generation to another. In the present study, we aimed to investigate intergenerational differences in commitment between two generations of Iranian married couples.
Methods: This study is descriptive cross-sectional research. A total of 240 individuals were recruited out of married men and women and their parents using a convenience sampling method in Tehran City, Iran, in 2015. To collect the study data, we employed the marital commitment questionnaire and the pros and cons of commitment measures to estimate the commitment types and emotions, respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to investigate the differences in commitment types and emotions of commitment between the two generations.
Results: The results show that the younger generation had higher scores in positive emotions of commitment, but no difference was observed in negative and constraining emotions. Furthermore, the younger generation had higher scores in personal commitment than the older generation, but not in the moral and structural commitment.
Conclusion: This study reveals intergenerational differences in commitment types and emotions in Iranian couples. Further studies should use longitudinal designs in the intergenerational studies of commitment in Iranian couples. Using an indicator of marital satisfaction in future research is recommended.