Communication Apprehension, Age, and Education as Predictors of Marital Conflict Among Couples in Ado- Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Marital satisfaction is a major need for individuals in marital relationships. Inability to satisfy this needs often arise as a result of irreconcilable differences or inability to communicate marital preferences with partners. Conflict has been said to be either constructive or destructive and it is often described as inevitable in human relations, marriage inclusive. Every marriage inevitably experiences conflict, no matter how compatible the partners’ maybe, even the healthiest of relationships occasionally descend to unpleasant conflicts. This study therefore aimed to investigate communication apprehension, age, and educational qualification as predictors of marital conflict among couples in Ado, Ekiti. Sample for this study comprised of 250 married participants of both male and female. The research employed a survey method in that the researcher administered the questionnaires to married participants in Ado- Ekiti, and all questionnaires were appropriately filled and retrieved. Four hypotheses were tested andresult shows that communication apprehension has a significant influence on marital conflict (t (248) = 1.02 p <.05). The result also revealed thatage does not have significant influence on marital conflict (F (3, 246) = .295P>.05), educational qualification does not significantly influence marital conflict (F (5,239) = .389P>.05). Results further revealed thatsex does not have significant influence on marital conflict (t (24) = -1.540 P>.05). It was recommended that effective communication should exist amidst couple in order to ameliorate deepened marital conflict.