본 연구는 결혼생활의 토대를 형성하는 신혼기부부의 부부관계신념 지각과 만족이 배우자의 긍정적 행동 지각과 만족에 미치는 영향 부부간 의사소통을 중심으로 알아보고자 했으며, 신혼기 부부의 결혼생활 적응을 위한 방안을 모색하는 데 도움이 되고자 한다.
조사대상은 서울 및 수도권에 거주하며 자녀가 없는 결혼 5년 미만의 초혼인 신혼부부 145쌍이며, 부부관계신념 지각과 만족, 부부간 의사소통, 배우자의 긍정적 행동 지각 및 만족에 대한 설문결과를 사용하였다. 자료분석은 SPSS 18.0 프로그램을 이용하여 분석을 실시하였다.
본 연구의 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다.
첫째, 조사대상자들의 관련변인들에 대한 전반적인 경향성을 알아본 결과 부부간 경계신념 지각의 남편평균 3.64점, 아내평균 3.60점, 배우자에 대한 힘-통제신념 지각의 남편평균 3.57점, 아내평균 3.40점이며, 관계투자신념 지각의 남편평균 3.79점, 아내평균 3.62점이었다. 부부간 경계신념 만족에 대해 남편은 평균 15.41개 문항, 아내 평균 15.59개 문항에 만족을 지각하고, 배우자에 대한 힘-통제신념 만족의 남편평균 14.38개 문항, 아내는 14.39개 문항에 만족하며, 관계투자신념의 남편의 평균은 32.54개 문항, 아내의 평균은 33.18개 문항에 대해 만족하여 남편과 아내 모두 부부관계신념이 부부관계에 적용되는 정도는 유사하였다. 상호건설적 의사소통의 남편평균 점수는 6.66점, 아내평균 점수는 6.65점이며, 상호회피 의사소통은 남편 평균 7.27점, 아내 평균 7.25점, 손상적 의사소통은 남편 평균 8.20점, 아내 평균 7.91점이고, 요구철회 의사소통에 대한 남편의 평균 6.89점, 아내의 평균 6.68점이었다. 배우자의 애정행동 대해 남편은 평균 10.27개 문항, 아내는 평균 9.97개 문항을 긍정적으로 지각했으며, 배우자의 도구행동에 대해 남편의 평균 7.08개, 아내의 평균 7.39개 문항을 긍정적으로 지각하고, 배우자의 돌봄행동에 대해 남편은 평균 10.06개 문항, 아내평균 10.31개 문항을 긍정적으로 지각하였다. 배우자의 긍정적 애정행동의 남편평균 7.81점, 아내평균 7.70점, 배우자의 긍정적 도구행동의 남편평균 7.27점, 아내평균 6.91점이었으며, 배우자의 긍정적 돌봄행동에 대한 남편의 평균 7.68점, 아내의 평균 7.36점으로 나타났다.
둘째, 부부관계신념 지각 수준은 남편이 아내보다 부부간 경계신념, 배우자에 대한 힘-통제신념, 관계투자신념 지각이 높게 나타났고, 부부관계신념 만족 수준은 아내가 남편보다 부부간 경계신념, 배우자에 대한 힘-통제신념, 관계투자신념에 대한 만족이 높게 나타났다. 또, 인구사회학적 특성에 따라 중매혼 집단이 배우자의 긍정적 애정행동과 돌봄행동을 가장 긍정적으로 지각하고 만족은 가장 낮은 반면, 자유혼 집단은 배우자의 애정행동과 돌봄행동을 덜 긍정적으로 지각하고 만족은 가장 높게 나타났다.
셋째, 남편과 아내가 배우자의 애정행동을 긍정적으로 지각하는 데 관계투자신념 만족과 가장 큰 정적 상관관계가 있었고, 배우자의 도구행동 지각과 관련된 변인은 남편과 아내 모두 없었고, 배우자의 돌봄행동 긍정적 지각은 남편과 아내 모두 부부간 경계신념 지각, 부부간 경계신념 만족, 배우자에 대한 힘-통제신념 만족, 관계투자신념 만족, 상호건설적 의사소통, 상호회피 의사소통, 요구철회 의사소통과 관련성이 있었다.
넷째, 남편은 부부관계에 대해 기대하는 신념이 실제 부부관계에서 만족스럽게 적용될수록 아내는 자유혼이고 자신의 부부관계에 대한 신념이 결혼생활에서 잘 적용될수록 배우자의 행동을 긍정적으로 지각했다. 배우자의 긍정적 행동 지각에 영향을 주는 변인은 부부관계신념 만족과 결혼형태로 나타났다.
또한, 남편은 결혼 전 교제기간이 짧고 부부관계에 대한 기대와 바램이 실제 결혼생활에서 충족될수록 아내는 부부관계신념이 만족스럽게 적용될수록 배우자의 행동에 대한 만족이 높게 나타났으며 남편과 아내 모두 긍정적 의사소통을 할수록 배우자의 긍정적 행동에 대한 만족수준이 증가하였다.
다섯째, 부부관계신념 지각과 만족이 배우자의 긍정적 행동 지각 및 만족간의 관계에서 부부간 의사소통이 매개적 역할을 하는지 살펴본 결과, 남편은 부부관계신념 지각과 배우자의 긍정적 행동 만족, 부부관계신념 만족과 배우자의 긍정적 행동 만족의 관계에서 부부간 의사소통의 유의미한 매개적효과가 있었다. 아내의 경우는 부부관계신념 만족과 배우자의 긍정적 행동 지각, 부부관계신념 지각과 배우자의 긍정적 행동 지각, 부부관계신념 만족과 배우자의 긍정적 행동 만족간의 관계에서 부부간 의사소통이 매개효과를 나타냈다.
본 연구는 현대 사회에서 신혼기의 가족해체가 증가하고 있는 시점에서 신혼부부를 대상으로 신념지각과 배우자의 행동에 대한 인지, 부부간 의사소통 행동의 다양한 변인들 간의 역동적 관계성을 살펴본 데 의의가 있고, 성공적인 결혼 생활에 장애물로 작용하는 부부관계신념이 어느 것인지를 검토하도록 하며 더 나아가 서로가 다르게 지각하는 신념을 조화롭게 결혼생활에 적용할 수 있도록 제안하며, 신혼부부의 결혼만족을 증진하기 위해서 부부간에 긍정적 의사소통 방식을 중요성을 밝혀냈다는 데 의미가 있다.

This study tried to examine the effect of newly-wedded couples’ perception and satisfaction in relationship standards, which form the foundation of their married life, on the perception and satisfaction in partner positive behavior focused on the communication between the husband and wife and this study also tried to be helpful in seeking for the ways for the newly-wedded couples to adjust to their married life.
Targeting 145 first marriage newly-wedded couples with less than 5 years of married life without children living in Seoul and metropolitan areas, the questionnaire survey was conducted on the perception and satisfaction in relationship standards, communication between the husband and wife, and the perception and satisfaction in partner positive behavior, and the data analysis was carried out using SPSS 18.0 Program.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows;
First, the general tendency of the respondents for the relevant variables showed that the average value of the boundary belief perception was 3.64 points for husband and 3.60 points for wife, the average value of the power-control belief perception was 3.57 points for husband and 3.40 points for wife, and the average value of the relationship investment belief perception was 3.79 points for husband and 3.62 points for wife. For the boundary belief satisfaction, the husband perceived satisfaction in average 15.41 items and the wife perceived satisfaction in average 15.59 items. For the power-control belief satisfaction for the partners, the husband showed satisfaction in average 14.38 items and the wife in average 14.39 items. For the relationship investment beliefs, the husband showed satisfaction in average 32.54 items and the wife in average 33.18 items. The husband and wife showed similar extent of relationship standards applied to marital relationship. The average point of mutually constructive communication was 6.66 points for husband and 6.65 points for wife and the average point of mutually avoidant communication was 7.27 points for husband and 7.25 points for wife. The average point of destructive communication was 8.20 points for husband and 7.91 points for wife and the average point of demand-withdraw communication was 6.89 points for husband and 6.68 points for wife. For the affection behavior of the partners, the husband showed positive perception in average 10.27 items and the wife in average 9.97 items, and for the instrumental behavior of the partners, the husband showed positive perception in average 7.08 items and the wife in average 7.39 items. For the nurturance behavior of the partners, the husband showed positive perception in average 10.06 items and the wife in average 10.31 items. The average point of the partner’s positive affection behavior was 7.81 points for husband and 7.70 points for wife, and the average point of partner’s positive instrumental behavior was 7.27 points for husband and 6.91 points for wife. The average point of partner’s positive nurturance behavior was 7.68 points for husband and 7.36 points for wife.
Second, the level of relationship standards perception was higher in husband than wife in boundary belief, power-control belief, and relationship investment belief, and the level of relationship standards satisfaction was higher in wife than husband in boundary belief, power-control belief, and relationship investment belief. Due to the socio-demographic characteristics, the arranged marriage groups perceived the affection behavior of their partners the most positively with the lowest satisfaction while the free marriage groups perceived the affection behavior and nurturance behavior of their partners the least positively with the highest satisfaction.
Third, the positive perception of the partner’s affection behavior by the husband and wife had the greatest static relationship with the satisfaction in relationship investment belief and both the husband and wife had no variables related with the perception of partner’s instrumental behavior. The positive perception of the partner’s nurturance behavior by the husband and wife had relationship with boundary belief perception, boundary perception satisfaction, power-control belief satisfaction, relationship investment belief satisfaction, mutually constructive communication, mutually avoidant communication, and demand-withdraw communication.
Fourth, the husband and wife perceived their partner’s behavior more positively when the husband thinks that his expected relationship standards are well applied to his actual married life and when the wife got married at her own free will and thinks that her expected relationship standards are well applied to her actual married life. The variables that have effect on the perception of the partner’s positive behavior were the satisfaction in relationship standards and the marriage types.
In addition, the husband and wife showed higher satisfaction in their partners’ behavior when the husband had short dating period before he got married and thinks that his expectation and hope for the marital relationship are satisfactorily applied to his actual married life and when the wife thinks that her relationship standards are satisfactorily applied to her actual married life. Both the husband and wife showed higher level of satisfaction in their partners’ positive behavior when they had positive communication with each other.
Fifth, as the result of studying whether the communication between the husband and wife plays the mediating role in the relationship between the perception and satisfaction in relationship standards and perception and satisfaction in partner’s positive behavior, the husband showed meaningful mediating effect of communication in the relationship between the perception of relationship standards and satisfaction in partner’s positive behavior and in the relationship between the satisfaction in relationship standards and the satisfaction in partner’s positive behavior. The wife showed mediating effect of communication between the husband and wife in the relationship between the satisfaction in relationship standards and perception of partner’s positive behavior, relationship between the perception of relationship standards and perception of partner’s positive behavior, and in the relationship between the satisfaction in relationship standards and satisfaction in partner’s positive behavior.
At this point of time in modern society where the family disorganization of the newly-wedded couples is ever increasing, this study can find its significance in that it examined the perception of relationship standards and partners’ positive behavior and dynamic relationship among the diverse variables of communication between the newly wedded husband and wife. This study can also find its significance in that it identified the relationship standards that act as the obstacle to successful married life and further suggested a way to adjust the belief, which is perceived each differently, to the married life harmoniously, finding out the importance of positive communication between the husband and wife to promote the satisfaction in the married life of the newly-wedded couples.