International Journal of Social Research and Development

authors
Patience Linus Nwoke, Charity Chizoma Amadi, Florence Nwoburuoke Ikezam

abstract
The study investigated emotional intelligence as correlates of marital stability among married couples in Rivers State Nigeria. A correlational design was adopted for the study. The Taro Yamen’s formula was used to determine the sample size of 392 respondents from estimated population of 20000 married couples in the three Senatorial District in Rivers State Nigeria. Two researcher’s structured instruments titled “Emotional Intelligence Assessment Questionnaire and Marital Stability Scale were used to elicit information for the study of the extent to which self -awareness, self-regulation, empathy, predict marital stability among married couples in Rivers Sate Nigeria. The instruments were validated by experts in the field of educational measurement and evaluation and educational guidance and counselling.. The reliability of the instruments was established using cronbach Alpha, the results yielded an Alpha of ‘a’ 0.81 for emotional intelligence assessment questionnaire and ‘a’ 0.78 for marital stability scale. Findings of the study revealed that to a high extent self-awareness, self-regulation predict marital stability among married couples in Rivers State Nigeria, to a very high extent empathy predicts marital stability among married couples in Rivers State, It was recommended among other things that married couples should practice mindfulness to improve self-regulation and also cognitive reframing process involving challenging one’s thoughts and replacing them with positive ones should be acquired.