UC Berkeley

This study compares Palestinian and Jewish married couples in Israel on theimportance of differentiation of the self (DS) and couples’ intimacy to maritalsatisfaction. A comparison of both societies’ cultures was conducted on thecontinuum of individualism and collectivism. Data collection was unique dueto the participation of both married partners. The sample included 167married couples from central and northern Israel. Data analysis was guided bytwo interlocking strategies: analysis of each spouse separately and dyadicanalysis (actor-partner interdependence model, APIM) of the couples as units.The findings situate the diversely perceived intimacy of couples and DS asmore important to marital satisfaction than social-cultural variables. Eventhough Palestinian and Jewish married couples were rated differently on bothscales of DS and couples’ intimacy, their scores on marital satisfaction weresimilar. In addition, Palestinian and Jewish couples held different tendenciesof both traits of individualism and collectivism, but these tendencies interactedsimilarly with other study variables, making the model similar for both(i.e., correlations were in the same direction).Our analysis differs from studies conducted elsewhere in the world withcouples and supports Bowen’s theory concerning DS as universal. Theseresults have several implications that may contribute to the edification ofclinical therapists, improved development of services, and the practice ofculturally sensitive therapy in the treatment of Palestinian and Jewish couples.This research may also help Western-oriented therapists for couples andfamilies to better tailor their methodologies to the distinct characteristics ofthese national groups. Furthermore, the findings may shed new light on Eastern- and Western-oriented populations in Israel and elsewhere in theworld, encouraging further studies of the challenges that contemporarymarried couples face.