TITLE:
Cohesion, Adaptability, and Gender across the Marital Cycle
AUTHORS:
José de Abreu-Afonso, Isabel Leal, Vera Proença
KEYWORDS:
Cohesion, Adaptability, Marital Relationships, Life Cycle
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.16 No.12,
December
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: This paper evaluates cohesion and adaptability over the course of marital relationships. The couple version of the FACES-III scale by D. H. Olson, J. Portner, and Y. Lavee (1985) was used, adapted and validated for the Portuguese population by Abreu-Afonso and Leal (2016). The sample consisted of 185 couples at different stages of the marital cycle. The results revealed gender similarities in the perception of cohesion and adaptability. However, women expressed a greater desire for adaptability. At the formation stage of the couple, women showed higher ideal cohesion compared with women in other stages of the life cycle, whereas women in old age exhibited the opposite pattern. Across the marital cycle, when comparing cohabitation with marriage, men in cohabiting relationships demonstrated higher cohesion and adaptability, and women also displayed higher cohesion.