Marital Commitment as a Mediator Between Intolerance of Uncertainty, Sexual Satisfaction, and Attitudes Toward Infidelity Among Married Students

Abstract

Background: The primary challenge for married students is balancing academic commitments with family responsibilities. This balance often leads to stress, burnout, and reduced time for spousal connection. These factors can negatively impact marital quality. Objectives: The primary aim was to investigate whether marital commitment mediates the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty, sexual satisfaction, and attitudes toward extramarital affairs among married female students. Methods: A descriptive-correlational design employing path analysis was utilized. The study population consisted of married female students at the Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch, during the 2024 academic year. A sample of 341 participants was selected via cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Attitudes Toward Infidelity Scale (ATIS), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), Sexual Satisfaction Scale (SSS), and Dimensions of Commitment Inventory (DCI). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze the data using SPSS version 26.0 for preliminary analyses and AMOS version 26.0 for SEM. Results: Findings revealed that intolerance of uncertainty (β = 0.26, P < 0.001) and marital commitment (β = -0.46, P < 0.001) significantly predicted attitudes toward extramarital affairs in opposing directions. Direct associations were observed between intolerance of uncertainty (β = -0.31, P < 0.001) and sexual satisfaction (β = 0.47, P < 0.001) with marital commitment. The direct link between sexual satisfaction and attitudes toward infidelity was non-significant. However, intolerance of uncertainty and sexual satisfaction indirectly influenced attitudes toward extramarital affairs through marital commitment. Conclusions: This study confirms that marital commitment serves as a critical mediator, buffering the impact of intolerance of uncertainty and sexual satisfaction on attitudes toward infidelity. These findings highlight its pivotal role in marital stability. Practically, interventions such as commitment-focused couple therapy and uncertainty tolerance training are recommended to enhance marital resilience among married students, potentially reducing infidelity attitudes and promoting long-term relational health.