{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,5]],"date-time":"2026-07-05T21:21:12Z","timestamp":1783286472860,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":68,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,19]],"date-time":"2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742342400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Research suggests that up to a third of married individuals report low marital satisfaction, underscoring the importance of studying unhappy marriages. Although numerous studies have investigated the causes and consequences of marital dissatisfaction, less is known about the potential heterogeneity among individuals within unhappy marriages and the extent to which some unhappily married spouses may be satisfied in other life domains. The present study sought to determine whether categorical differences exist among unhappily married individuals. Using friendship satisfaction, family satisfaction, and life satisfaction as indicator variables, we conducted a latent profile analysis (LPA) on married individuals (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic> = 1,070). Specifically, we conducted LPA on subsets of participants reporting the lowest 20%, 22.5%, 25%, 31%, and 34% of marital satisfaction in our sample to ensure that our results were not specific to only the most dissatisfied spouses. We identified two distinct profiles of discordant marriages in all data subsets, with one profile reporting dissatisfaction in all areas, and the other reporting low marital satisfaction but close to average satisfaction with life, family, and friends. Our results emphasize that unhappy spouses are not monolithic, and that some individuals remain relatively satisfied in other life domains.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1458129","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,19]],"date-time":"2025-03-19T07:10:05Z","timestamp":1742368205000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Contextualizing marital dissatisfaction: examining profiles of discordant spouses across life domains"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Annie","family":"Regan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lisa C.","family":"Walsh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Calen","family":"Horton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anthony","family":"Rodriguez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Victor A.","family":"Kaufman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1207\/S1532480XADS0502_2","article-title":"Impact of positive and negative aspects of marital relationships and friendships on well-being of older adults.","volume":"5","author":"Antonucci","year":"2001","journal-title":"Appl. Dev. Sci."},{"key":"B2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Auxiliary variables in mixture modeling: Using the BCH method in Mplus to estimate a distal outcome model and an arbitrary secondary model.","volume":"21","author":"Asparouhov","year":"2014","journal-title":"Mplus Web Notes"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.117.3.497","article-title":"The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation.","volume":"117","author":"Baumeister","year":"1995","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"276","DOI":"10.1037\/0893-3200.19.2.276","article-title":"The taxometrics of marriage: Is marital discord categorical?","volume":"19","author":"Beach","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Fam. Psychol."},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"595","DOI":"10.1037\/0893-3200.21.4.595","article-title":"Relationship quality profiles and well-being among married adults.","volume":"21","author":"Birditt","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Fam. Psychol."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"964","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1741-3737.2000.00964.x","article-title":"Research on the nature and determinants of marital satisfaction: A decade in review.","volume":"62","author":"Bradbury","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"930","DOI":"10.1111\/jomf.12133","article-title":"Happy marriage, happy life? marital quality and subjective well-being in later life.","volume":"76","author":"Carr","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2019.08.013","article-title":"Power, approach, and inhibition: Empirical advances of a theory.","volume":"33","author":"Cho","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Psychol."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.72.2.176","article-title":"Traditional versus integrative behavioral couple therapy for significantly and chronically distressed married couples.","volume":"72","author":"Christensen","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Consult. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1037\/14805-018","article-title":"A power primer.","volume":"112","author":"Cohen","year":"1992","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.2307\/2136404","article-title":"A global measure of perceived stress.","volume":"24","author":"Cohen","year":"1983","journal-title":"J. Health Soc. Behav."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1650","DOI":"10.1177\/0192513X211030033","article-title":"The trajectory of subjective well-being: A partial explanation of the marriage advantage.","volume":"43","author":"DeMaris","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Fam. Issues"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1007\/s10902-009-9138-5","article-title":"Friendship, need satisfaction and happiness.","volume":"11","author":"Demir","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Happiness Stud."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"243","DOI":"10.1007\/s10902-006-9025-2","article-title":"Looking to happy tomorrows with friends: Best and close friendships as they predict happiness.","volume":"8","author":"Demir","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Happiness Stud."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327752jpa4901_13","article-title":"The satisfaction with life scale.","volume":"49","author":"Diener","year":"1985","journal-title":"J. Pers. Assess."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/t05461-000","author":"Eysenck","year":"1993","journal-title":"Eysenck personality questionnaire-revised (EPQ-R) [database record]."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"458","DOI":"10.1177\/0165025419881721","article-title":"Finding latent groups in observed data: A primer on latent profile analysis in Mplus for applied researchers.","volume":"44","author":"Ferguson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int. J. Behav. Dev."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1741-3737.2007.00362.x","article-title":"Transformative processes in marriage: An analysis of emerging trends.","volume":"69","author":"Fincham","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1037\/a0038665","article-title":"The complex nature of family support across the life span: Implications for psychological well-being.","volume":"51","author":"Fuller-Iglesias","year":"2015","journal-title":"Dev. Psychol."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"572","DOI":"10.1037\/0893-3200.21.4.572","article-title":"Testing the ruler with item response theory: Increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index.","volume":"21","author":"Funk","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Fam. Psychol."},{"key":"B21","author":"Gottman","year":"1979","journal-title":"Marital Interaction: Experimental Investigations."},{"key":"B22","author":"Gottman","year":"2015","journal-title":"The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country\u2019s Foremost Relationship Expert."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2024.01.042","article-title":"The relationship between the perception of major life events and depression: A systematic scoping review and meta-analysis.","volume":"349","author":"Haehner","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"621","DOI":"10.1080\/10705511.2017.1402334","article-title":"MplusAutomation: An R package for facilitating large-scale latent variable analyses in MPlus.","volume":"25","author":"Hallquist","year":"2018","journal-title":"Struct. Eq. Model. A Multidisciplinary J."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1353\/sof.2005.0103","article-title":"Unhappily ever after: Effects of long-term, low-quality marriages on well-being.","volume":"84","author":"Hawkins","year":"2005","journal-title":"Soc. Forces"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1511","DOI":"10.1007\/s11606-015-3290-x","article-title":"U.S. general population estimate for \u201cexcellent\u201d to \u201cpoor\u201d self-rated health item.","volume":"30","author":"Hays","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. General Internal Med."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/352748","article-title":"Stable unhappy marriages.","volume":"53","author":"Heaton","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"517","DOI":"10.1037\/amp0000103","article-title":"Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States.","volume":"72","author":"Holt-Lunstad","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. Psychol."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.80.2.237","article-title":"The connubial crucible: Newlywed years as predictors of marital delight, distress, and divorce.","volume":"80","author":"Huston","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1643","DOI":"10.1007\/s10902-023-00631-9","article-title":"The convergence of positivity: Are happy people all alike?","volume":"24","author":"Iliev","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Happiness Stud."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1002\/cad.20398","article-title":"Latent profile transition analyses and growth mixture models: A very non-technical guide for researchers in child and adolescent development.","volume":"175","author":"Johnson","year":"2021","journal-title":"New Dir. Child Adolesc. Dev."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.118.1.3","article-title":"The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, methods, and research.","volume":"118","author":"Karney","year":"1995","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1075","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.72.5.1075","article-title":"Neuroticism, marital interaction, and the trajectory of marital satisfaction.","volume":"72","author":"Karney","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.1007\/s41042-022-00077-z","article-title":"The unity of well-Being: An inquiry into the structure of subjective well-being using the bifactor model.","volume":"7","author":"Kaufman","year":"","journal-title":"Int. J. Appl. Positive Psychol."},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1177\/02654075211025639","article-title":"Friendship network satisfaction: A multifaceted construct scored as a unidimensional scale.","volume":"39","author":"Kaufman","year":"","journal-title":"J. Soc. Pers. Relationsh."},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2563","DOI":"10.1007\/s10902-022-00502-9","article-title":"Unique ways in which the quality of friendships matter for life satisfaction.","volume":"23","author":"Kaufman","year":"","journal-title":"J. Happiness Stud."},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"403","DOI":"10.1007\/s11205-004-0561-z","article-title":"An investigation into the cross-cultural equivalence of the personal wellbeing index.","volume":"72","author":"Lau","year":"2005","journal-title":"Soc. Indicators Res."},{"key":"B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1171","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1741-3737.2010.00757.x","article-title":"Patterns of change in marital satisfaction over the newlywed years.","volume":"72","author":"Lavner","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1539","DOI":"10.1007\/s10902-018-0009-9","article-title":"Marital happiness, marital status, health, and longevity.","volume":"20","author":"Lawrence","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Happiness Stud."},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1729","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10081729","article-title":"Dissatisfaction with married life in men is related to increased stroke and all-cause mortality.","volume":"10","author":"Lev-Ari","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Clin. Med."},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"803","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.131.6.803","article-title":"The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success?","volume":"131","author":"Lyubomirsky","year":"","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1037\/1089-2680.9.2.111","article-title":"Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change.","volume":"9","author":"Lyubomirsky","year":"","journal-title":"Rev. General Psychol."},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1007\/s11205-005-0213-y","article-title":"What are the differences between happiness and self-esteem?","volume":"78","author":"Lyubomirsky","year":"2006","journal-title":"Soc. Indicators Res."},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101007","DOI":"10.1016\/j.isci.2020.101007","article-title":"Testing the anna Karenina principle in human microbiome-associated diseases.","volume":"23","author":"Ma","year":"2020","journal-title":"iScience"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2101402118","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2101402118","article-title":"How both partners\u2019 individual differences, stress, and behavior predict change in relationship satisfaction: Extending the VSA model.","volume":"118","author":"McNulty","year":"2021","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci."},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1091","DOI":"10.2466\/pr0.1996.78.3c.1091","article-title":"Taxometric analysis: II. Detecting taxonicity using covariance of two quantitative indicators in successive intervals of a third indicator (maxcov procedure).","volume":"78","author":"Meehl","year":"1996","journal-title":"Psychol. Rep."},{"key":"B47","author":"Muth\u00e9n","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mplus: The Comprehensive Modeling Program for Applied Researchers: User\u2019s Guide."},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"298","DOI":"10.1111\/cdev.12905","article-title":"Close friendship strength and broader peer group desirability as differential predictors of adult mental health.","volume":"90","author":"Narr","year":"2019","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1050164","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2023.1050164","article-title":"Theory of brain complexity and marital behaviors: The application of complexity science and neuroscience to explain the complexities of marital behaviors.","volume":"17","author":"Nikrahan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Hum. Neurosci."},{"key":"B50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1080\/10705510701575396","article-title":"Deciding on the number of classes in latent class analysis and growth mixture modeling: A Monte Carlo simulation study.","volume":"14","author":"Nylund","year":"2007","journal-title":"Struct. Eq. Modeling A Multidisciplinary J."},{"key":"B51","author":"Olson","year":"1985","journal-title":"Family Inventories: Inventories used in a National Survey of Families Across the Family Life Cycle."},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.57.102904.190127","article-title":"Personality and the prediction of consequential outcomes.","volume":"57","author":"Ozer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Psychol."},{"key":"B53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1111\/jftr.12201","article-title":"Group-based trajectory modeling of marital quality: A critical review.","volume":"9","author":"Proulx","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Fam. Theory Rev."},{"key":"B54","author":"Raush","year":"1974","journal-title":"Communication, Conflict, and Marriage."},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.1037\/a0031859","article-title":"Marital quality and health: A meta-analytic review.","volume":"140","author":"Robles","year":"2014","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1515\/9781400876136","author":"Rosenberg","year":"1965","journal-title":"Society and the Adolescent Self-Image."},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327752jpa6601_2","article-title":"UCLA loneliness scale (Version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure.","volume":"66","author":"Russell","year":"1996","journal-title":"J. Pers. Assess."},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1111\/famp.12563","article-title":"Associations between marital discord and depressive symptoms: A cross-cultural analysis.","volume":"60","author":"Salinger","year":"2021","journal-title":"Fam. Process"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"699","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.5615","article-title":"Breast cancer survivors\u2019 satisfying marriages predict better psychological and physical health: A longitudinal comparison of satisfied, dissatisfied, and unmarried women.","volume":"30","author":"Shrout","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psycho Oncol."},{"key":"B60","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.2307\/350547","article-title":"Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads.","volume":"38","author":"Spanier","year":"1976","journal-title":"J. Marriage Fam."},{"key":"B61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103445","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jvb.2020.103445","article-title":"Latent profile analysis: A review and \u201chow to\u201d guide of its application within vocational behavior research.","volume":"120","author":"Spurk","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Vocat. Behav."},{"key":"B62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e641","DOI":"10.31661\/gmj.v6i3.641","article-title":"A review of the factors associated with marital satisfaction.","volume":"6","author":"Tavakol","year":"2017","journal-title":"Galen Med. J."},{"key":"B63","author":"Tolstoy","year":"2004","journal-title":"Anna Karenina"},{"key":"B64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"904848","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2022.904848","article-title":"Expanding relationship science to unpartnered singles: What predicts life satisfaction?","volume":"13","author":"Walsh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"B65","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102713","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2023.102713","article-title":"A longitudinal investigation of marital dissolution, marital quality, and generalized anxiety disorder in a national probability sample.","volume":"96","author":"Whisman","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Anxiety Disord."},{"key":"B66","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"745","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-006X.76.5.745","article-title":"Is marital discord taxonic and can taxonic status be assessed reliably? Results from a national, representative sample of married couples.","volume":"76","author":"Whisman","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Consult. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"B67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.1177\/1948550619865056","article-title":"Trajectories of marital satisfaction in diverse newlywed couples.","volume":"11","author":"Williamson","year":"2020","journal-title":"Soc. Psychol. Pers. Sci."},{"key":"B68","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"814","DOI":"10.1177\/1094428117752467","article-title":"Putting the \u201cperson\u201d in the center: Review and synthesis of person-centered approaches and methods in organizational science.","volume":"21","author":"Woo","year":"2018","journal-title":"Organ. Res. Methods"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1458129\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,19]],"date-time":"2025-03-19T07:10:13Z","timestamp":1742368213000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1458129\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,19]]},"references-count":68,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1458129"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1458129","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,19]]},"article-number":"1458129"}}