Whenever one to’s connection with God produces meaning and you can goal in a single’s lives, they absolutely improves both marital closeness and you may really-becoming
Figure 3 shows the final structural equation model with spiritual meaning included as a mediating variable. While all links are statistically significant at p ? .01 and all fit indices are acceptable (RMSEA .049 [CI: .047, .050], SRMR .04, NFI .95), not all pathways are positive. The direct connections from spiritual intimacy to well-being and to e negative when spiritual meaning was added as a mediator, demonstrating strong indirect associations of spiritual intimacy with marital intimacy and well-being, acting through spiritual meaning. To determine whether adding spiritual meaning in this central position was an improvement over a model without connections through spiritual meaning we tested the model shown in Figure 3 with the paths from spiritual meaning to marital intimacy and to well-being constrained to zero. The results of this model (not shown) were very similar to the model without spiritual meaning we initially tested in Figure 2 . The direct paths from spiritual intimacy to marital intimacy (0.14, 95% CI [0.11, 0.18], p = .002) and from spiritual intimacy to well-being (0.35, 95% CI [0.31, 0.38], p = .002) were both reasonably strong and positive. Additionally, the model not containing the constraints is a better fit to the data than the constrained model (? 2 (2) = , p < .005). These findings suggest that spiritual meaning is the vehicle through which spiritual intimacy is modeled to facilitate greater marital intimacy and well-being. In other words, it is the spiritual meaning that is a result of one's relationship with God that is the impetus and model for greater levels of intimacy in one's marriage and increased individual well-being.
Final causal model (n = 5,720). Spiritual intimacy is the best predictor of one’s marital intimacy and well-being through the lens of spiritual meaning. The strongest positive change is seen for individual well-being in that spiritual intimacy, by improving marital intimacy, also improves well-being. Without spiritual meaning in one’s life, one’s relationship with God is associated with a decrease in marital intimacy and well-being. Standardized regression coefficients from structural model are shown. Age and length of relationship are controlled. Structural model of relationship between latent variables is shown with bold-faced arrows and coefficients. All coefficients are statistically significant at p < .005 using bias-corrected 1,000 sample bootstrap. x 2 (147) = , p < .001, RMSEA = .049 (95% CI = .047, .050), SRMR = .04, NFI .95. Numbers beside latent and manifest variables are squared multiple correlations for all arrows leading into that variable. Numbers on arrows are standardized path coefficients.
Head outcomes
When you’re most of the direct routes one of latent details was tall, those people pathways from spiritual intimacy so you’re able to well-are also to marital closeness was in fact each other apparently poor and you can bad. This shows the significance of religious meaning to help you marital intimacy and you can well-getting and raises the specter of what is leftover that creates a poor dating whenever spiritual intimacy try bereft of religious definition.
Secondary outcomes
The fresh new indirect consequences had been mediated because of the religious meaning. New direct bad connectivity away from religious closeness that have relationship closeness and that have really-are had been one another solid and you may positive whenever regarded as secondary outcomes functioning compliment of religious definition. This means that the brand new solid role away from spiritual definition when examining the latest relationships certainly spiritual intimacy, marital closeness, and you may really-becoming.
Full outcomes
Once the revealed into the Dining table dos , the complete negative effects of religious intimacy so you’re able to religious definition, as well as spiritual definition so you can better-getting was basically one another solid prior to one other outcomes. The newest routes from spiritual and you will marital intimacy to help you well-becoming was basically slightly weaker as well as the street of spiritual definition to relationship intimacy is actually brand new weakest although however extreme. Religious meaning, for this reason, is strongest in terms of really-getting, and in addition strong in relation to marital closeness.