WARM & ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR COUPLE WELLBEING IN MARITAL RELATIONSHIP

Abstract

In recent decades, the significance of healthy marital relationships has garnered increasing attention within the field of marital research. A multitude of studies has demonstrated that the quality of communication between partners is a crucial determinant of relationship satisfaction and overall well-being (Gottman, 1994; Carrère et al., 2000). Assertive communication, defined as the ability to express one's thoughts, `feelings, and needs openly and respectfully, plays a pivotal role in fostering emotional intimacy and resolving conflicts in marital relationships (Rosenberg, 2003). As a join collaboration with Permai Malaysia, we assumed that as migrant married couple have its own challenges such as different habits, cultures and ways of communicating.Differences in culture, habits and ways of communicating can be expected to have their own challenges in communication, especially husband-wife communication, especially if one of the couples is from a different country. This condition, of course, can affect the quality of life both as an individual, couple or family which can also affect the overall quality of life. Based on this situation, insights on how to communicate assertively yet warmly are needed so as to maintain marital quality and quality of life for as long as possible.