Effects of Extraversion Personality Compatibility and the Michelangelo Phenomenon via Facebook on Marital Satisfaction

Abstract

Divorce rates in newlywed couples has been rising dramatically globally, particularly Thailand. Young adults who strive for success often seek romantic relationships that promote their personal growth in order to thrive. The Michelangelo phenomenon is a psychological concept which explains how romantic relationships facilitate each other’s goal pursuit via partner affirmation. This research explores the dyadic influence of the similarity effects of the Big Five’s extraversion trait and marital satisfaction mediated by the Michelangelo phenomenon via Facebook in Thai newlyweds who have been married less than 5 years. 70 dyads were collected in two waves with a 6 month interval. The longitudinal modified Actor-partner Interdependence Model (APIM) with the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) suggests that the Michelangelo phenomenon has been found to be more effective in offline or face-to-face interactions as opposed to the online context like Facebook. Highly extraverted husbands benefit from the Michelangelo phenomenon more than wives while extraversion significantly influences marital satisfaction of wives directly in long term. Wives place a greater emphasis on the similarity of extraversion than husbands. The findings imply that collectivism context shapes Thai couples in terms of their perception of their ideal selves and love conceptualization. Partner affirmation is a key component of the Michelangelo phenomenon which helps relationships thrive, facilitates goal pursuit and enhances marital satisfaction. This is the first time that the Michelangelo phenomenon has been replicated in the collectivistic country.