Conjugalidade, família e bem-estar

: diferenças entre quem participa em grupos católicos em casal e quem não participa

Abstract

The relationship between conjugality, well-being and family experience is clearly defined in the scientific literature, where the influence of religion on each of these is also considered. The thesis presented aimed at exploring differences of participants in Catholic couple groups in these three domains, particularly, in the dimensions of individual wellbeing, marital satisfaction, marital generativity and perceived family experience. For this purpose, three groups of individuals, grouped according to religious beliefs and practices, were compared. The participation in activities as a couple, within or outside the religious environment, was also considered in a subsequent comparison analysis between groups.In order to meet the proposed objectives, the study followed a non-experimental, crosssectional, between-subjects methodology, according to a mixed approach. Data was collected at different moments, starting with the collection of quantitative data, through the application of a self-report research protocol, considering a sample of 379 individuals. Qualitative data collection was performed through an individual semi-structuredinterview, featuring a sample of 10 participants. The results revealed a relationship between the marital participation in a Catholic group and the variables under study, highlighting the relation with marital satisfaction and generativity. These individuals show higher values of marital satisfaction, which seem to result from different processes, such as the marital care, the intimacy they show and the perception of similarities with other couples. Generativity, strongly present in these individuals, is revealed, for example, in the way they get involved in other activities and wish to give and receive example from other couples. We also gathered the participants' main suggestions for higher values of individual well-being and a perceived family experience of greater closeness, which were the dimensions under study with lower results. Finally, the practical implications of the results obtained, the limitations of the study and suggestions for future research were considered.

Date of Award	28 Nov 2022
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Costa Ramalho (Supervisor)