The mediating role of rumination between boredom proneness and life satisfaction in married couples: a dyadic study

Abstract

Married couples invariably impact one another during their shared time. Prolonged interactions may influence their perceptions of one another. This study sought to investigate the mediating effect of rumination on the relationship between boredom proneness and life satisfaction among married couples. A total of 529 married couples (n = 1058) participated in the study, which employed the Brief Boredom Proneness Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Rumination Scale on Interpersonal Errors. Data were gathered via online questionnaires and analyzed employing the Actor-Dependency Mediation Model. Research indicated that susceptibility to boredom adversely impacted both personal life satisfaction and that of partners via rumination. Dyadic analysis demonstrated the interdependence of couples’ emotional and cognitive processes. The findings indicate that rumination is a significant factor to consider in interventions designed to enhance marital satisfaction. The study is expected to enrich the literature on the complexity of psychological processes in marital relationships.

Introduction

Individuals’ subjective evaluation of their own quality of life is reflected in the concept of life satisfaction, which is an important psychological construct [1]. According to Pavot and Diener, this concept, which encompasses the cognitive evaluations that individuals make of their general living conditions, is recognized as one of the primary components of subjective well-being [2]. According to Whisman and Uebelacker, life satisfaction appears to be a complicated process that is influenced by both individual and relational dynamics when it is considered alongside the context of a marital relationship [3].

The term “boredom proneness” [4] refers to a continuous and common proneness of individuals towards boring situations. Recent studies have brought attention to the negative effects that boredom proneness has on life satisfaction. A relatively stable personality trait, boredom proneness is characterized by individuals having difficulty finding the stimuli around them interesting and having difficulty focusing on the current situation [5]. Boredom proneness is a trait that is considered to be relatively stable. According to Vodanovich and Watt, people who have a high proneness to be bored have a difficult time discovering meaning and fulfillment in their daily lives, and this circumstance has a negative impact on the overall level of satisfaction they experience in their lives to a significant degree [6]. The proneness of a spouse to become bored can have an impact not only on the individual’s own level of life satisfaction but also on the level of life satisfaction experienced by the partner [7]. This is especially true in married couples.

Rumination is thought to be a potential mediating mechanism in this relationship, and it is thought that it may play a role in this relationship. In the research conducted by Nolen-Hoeksema et al., the term “rumination” is used to describe the tendency of individuals to repeatedly concentrate on negative feelings and thoughts [8]. According to Martin et al., individuals who have a high proneness to experience boredom are more likely to have ruminative thoughts about the lack of meaning and fulfillment in their lives, which may have a negative impact on their level of satisfaction with their lives [9]. It has been suggested by Burnette and Franiuk that the ruminative thinking patterns of one spouse can have an impact on the dynamics of the couple and lead to a decrease in the level of life satisfaction experienced by both partners in a marriage [10].

Research that was carried out specifically with married couples demonstrates that the psychological processes of the partners in a relationship have an effect on one another [11]. Within the framework of the actor-partner interaction model, the tendency of one spouse to be bored and to have ruminative thoughts may also have an effect on the level of life satisfaction experienced by the other spouse [12]. The importance of a dyadic approach to the development of a more comprehensive understanding at the couple level is highlighted by the fact that this mutual interaction is taking place [13].

Present study

This study intends to investigate the role that rumination plays as a mediator in the connection between the proneness to experience boredom and the level of life satisfaction experienced by married couples. There is a lack of information regarding the ways in which these processes are shaped within the context of marital relationships, despite the fact that previous studies have placed an emphasis on the individual-level effects of boredom proneness and rumination on life satisfaction. Based on the fact that the psychological processes of spouses mutually affect each other, this study will use the Actor-Co-Dependency Model [11] to investigate both actor effects and joint effects. This will be done in order to better understand the relationship between the two.

Within this framework, the purpose of the research is to investigate the negative effects that an individual’s proneness toward boredom has on both his or her own life satisfaction and the life satisfaction of his or her partner, as well as to determine whether or not these effects are mediated by rumination. As an additional point of interest, it is hypothesized that these processes might reveal bidirectional dynamics between couples. The purpose of this research is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the ways in which rumination and boredom proneness influence life satisfaction within the context of marital relationships by combining both individual and relational points of view. In this context, the purpose of the current study is to make a contribution to the existing body of literature by addressing rumination as a potential mechanism between boredom proneness and life satisfaction, addressing the importance of the dyadic approach to understand the mutual interactions of married couples’ psychological processes, and contributing to the understanding of life satisfaction as a dyadic structure that is shaped by the interaction of individual and relational factors.

Method

Participants and procedure

The study comprises 529 participants who are married couples. Kenny and Ledermann asserted that a maximum of 100 couples would suffice for the actor-partner interdependence mediation model [14]. The sample in this dyadic study significantly exceeds the quantity established in the literature. The mean age of the female participants was 34.89 (SD = 10.32), while the mean age of the male participants was 37.80 (SD = 10.923). The predominant number of participants in both groups were university graduates (n = 231, 43.7% for women; n = 232, 43.9% for men). The average duration of marriage was 11.836 years (SD = 10.697). Additionally, both women (n = 401, 75.8%) and men (n = 383, 72.4%) self-identified as being at a moderate level of socioeconomic status. The mean number of children they had was 1.64 (SD = 1.475). Research data were gathered through an online questionnaire. All participants provided informed consent prior to the study. Each partner received an identical form and was instructed to complete the forms independently. At the outset of the form, couples were requested to select a shared nickname (any term pertinent to their relationship). In the event of identical nicknames, they were instructed to select a shared four-digit number. The use of pseudonyms and numerical identifiers facilitated the matching of male and female partners. No compensation was provided to the study participants, and it was indicated that participation was voluntary. The data for the study was collected in February 2025. The research complied with all ethical standards specified in the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki and its appendices.

Measures

Short boredom proneness scale

The instrument created by Struk et al. comprises 8 items [5]. The scale items, comprising a single dimension, were constructed using a 7-point Likert format (1 = Strongly disagree, 7 = Strongly agree). The adaptation study of the scale for Turkish was conducted by Güner et al. [15]. The construct validity fit values of the scale were reported to be at an acceptable level, and the internal consistency coefficient was 0.91.

Life satisfaction scale

The Turkish adaptation study of the Life Satisfaction Scale, which was initially developed by Diener et al. in 1985, was carried out by Dağlı and Baysal in 2016 [1, 16]. The sole purpose of this study was to measure the overall level of life satisfaction. The scale is a one-dimensional, five-point Likert scale, with 1 representing strongly disagreeing and 5 representing strongly agreeing. It is comprised of five items. The scale has an internal consistency coefficient of 0.88, which indicates that it is reliable.

Rumination scale for interpersonal life

Oral and Arslan were the ones who carried out the research for the Turkish adaptation of the Rumination Scale for Interpersonal Life, which was initially developed by Wade et al. [17, 18]. There are six items on the scale, and it is of the Likert type, with five points (1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree). Based on the findings of the analyses conducted on construct validity, it was reported that the construct exhibited good fit values, and the internal consistency coefficient was found to be.88.

Data analysis

The actor-partner interdependence mediation model was employed to analyze the relationships between variables and couples in this study [19]. According to Kenny et al., this model is a valuable approach to comprehending the dynamics of families and couples [11]. The actor-partner interdependence mediation model elucidates the direct and indirect effects of men and women on themselves and each other in romantic relationships. The initial step in this context was to match the pseudonyms of male and female participants and determine a common number. Subsequently, descriptive statistics of the participants, normality distributions of the variables, and reliability values were computed through preliminary analyses. Furthermore, correlation analysis was implemented to investigate the relationships between the variables. Subsequently, the structural model was implemented to evaluate the study’s hypotheses. The parcellation technique for single-factor measurements was implemented in the structural model in accordance with the suggestion of Little et al. [20]. The significance of path coefficients and fit index values, including CFI, TLI, GFI, IFI, NFI, SRMR, and RMSEA, were both considered in this model. CFI, TLI, GFI, NFI, and IFI should be greater than 0.90, and SRMR and RMSEA should be less than 0.08 among these fit index values [21]. Lastly, a bias-corrected bootstrapping procedure is employed to examine the indirect effects of the relationships between variables.

Results

Preliminary analyses

Table 1 contains the results of the correlation analysis, reliability findings, normality values, and descriptive statistics. The skewness values of the variables range from − 0.166 to 0.190, while the kurtosis values range from − 1.052 to −0.603. This discovery demonstrates that all variables are maintained at a consistent level for both men and women. The reliability values for all variables for men and women were analyzed, and Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.798 to 0.912, McDonald’s omega from 0.803 to 0.913, and Guttman’s lambda from 0.772 to 0.901. This demonstrates that the variables are sufficiently dependable. Ultimately, the correlation analysis demonstrated that all variables were significantly and meaningfully associated. Details are provided in Table 1.

Table 1.

Descriptive statistics, reliabilities and correlational statistics for the study variables

Variable	1	2	3	4	5	6
1. Boredom proneness Male	–
2. Boredom proneness Female	0.63**	–
3. Rumination Male	0.54**	0.49**	–
4. Rumination Female	0.48**	0.52**	0.49**	–
5. Life satisfaction Male	− 0.40**	− 0.34**	− 0.33**	− 0.34**	–
6. Life satisfaction Female	− 0.38**	− 0.51**	− 0.36**	− 0.37**	0.54**	–
Mean	21.82	22.07	14.32	17.81	18.68	18.38
SD	8.40	8.29	5.76	6.67	3.73	3.66
Skewness	0.030	0.190	0.144	0.012	− 0.166	− 0.061
Kurtosis	− 0.906	− 0.715	−1.052	− 0.868	− 0.727	− 0.603
McDonald ω	0.806	0.803	0.878	0.913	0.811	0.799
Cronbach α	0.804	0.799	0.877	0.912	0.811	0.798
Guttmann λ6	0.797	0.799	0.864	0.901	0.790	0.772

Actor-Partner interdependence mediation model

After the preliminary analyses were finished, the actor-partner interdependence mediation model was employed to investigate the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between boredom proneness and life satisfaction in couples. The results indicated that the mediation model’s fit index values were satisfactory: χ2 = 265.195, df = 45, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.91, GFI = 0.92, IFI = 0.94, NFI = 0.92, SRMR = 0.08. Finally, the path coefficients for the actor effects between boredom proneness, rumination, and life satisfaction were significant for both women and men (β = −0.455, p < 0.001 and − 0.306, p < 0.001 for women; β = −0.472, p < 0.001 and − 0.283, p < 0.001 for men) (refer to Fig. 1). Additionally, the path from women’s boredom proneness to men’s rumination (β = 0.248, p < 0.05) and from men’s rumination to women’s life satisfaction (β = −0.302, p < 0.001) was statistically significant as far as partner effects were concerned. In addition, the path from men’s boredom proneness to women’s rumination (β = 0.230, p < 0.05) and from women’s rumination to men’s life satisfaction (β = −0.255, p < 0.001) is also statistically significant.

Fig. 1.

Actor-Partner Independence Mediator Model. Note. N = 1058; ^* p <.05, ^** p <.01; MBppar parcels of male’ boredom proneness; FBppar parcels of female’ boredom proneness; MRpar parcels of male’ rumination; FRpar parcels of female’ rumination; MRspar parcels of male’ life satisfaction; FRspar parcels of female’ life satisfaction;

Ultimately, bootstrapping analyses were implemented to investigate indirect effects associated with partner effects. The initial indirect effect discovery was that the rumination of men indirectly influenced the life satisfaction of women because of their boredom proneness (bootstrap = −0.227, 95% CI [−0.289 - −0.166]). The second indirect effect discovery is that the rumination of women indirectly influences the life satisfaction of men, as evidenced by the bootstrap value of −0.282 (95% CI [−0.359 - −0.214]). These results indicate that both partner effects are statistically significant. Table 2 contains the values.

Table 2.

Indirect effects on male-female relationship

		Coefficient		95%
				Confidence Interval
				LL	UL
Indirect effects
Actor effects
Boredom proneness ->Rumination ->Life satisfaction (male actor effect)		− 0.192		− 0.377	− 0.013
Boredom proneness ->Rumination ->Life satisfaction (female actor effect)		− 0.214		− 0.437	− 0.019
Partner effects
Male’ boredom proneness ->Female’ rumination ->Male’ life satisfaction (partner effect)		− 0.227		− 0.289	− 0.166
Female’ boredom proneness ->Male’ rumination ->Female’ life satisfaction (partner effect)		− 0.282		− 0.359	− 0.214

Discussion

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between life satisfaction and boredom proneness in married couples by employing an actor-partner interdependence mediation model. The results demonstrated that the model was well-fitted, and both the actor and partner effects were statistically significant. The results are in accordance with the existing literature and underscore the significance of interpersonal dynamics [22].

Initially, the study’s findings indicated that the relationships between boredom proneness and rumination, as well as between rumination and life satisfaction, were substantial for both genders. This discovery indicates that the rumination processes of individuals are induced by their boredom proneness, which has a detrimental impact on their life satisfaction. These findings corroborate prior research that rumination is a critical factor in the relationship between life satisfaction and boredom proneness [23, 24]. This discovery is crucial in comprehending the nature of the relationship between life satisfaction and the inclination to boredom. Research findings indicate that rumination is not only associated with boredom proneness but also serves as a mechanism that adversely impacts life satisfaction. This implies that the reduction of rumination tendencies in individuals may be a critical intervention area for enhancing their life satisfaction. Additionally, this critical role of rumination in the correlation between life satisfaction and boredom underscores the necessity of interventions that assist individuals in identifying and managing their ruminative thoughts. For instance, mindfulness-based methodologies can assist individuals in interrupting ruminative cycles and enhancing the significance of their lives. Furthermore, the development of strategies to address boredom proneness can be regarded as an effective approach to disrupting this cycle.

Secondly, it was determined that the rumination of men was influenced by the boredom proneness of women, which in turn indirectly influenced the life satisfaction of women in terms of partner effects. In the same vein, women’s rumination was discovered to influence men’s life satisfaction by influencing their boredom proneness. These results indicate that couples’ cognitive and emotional processes are interdependent. The statistical significance of partner effects is crucial in understanding the ways in which spouses can affect each other’s emotional experiences. These findings enhance the existing literature by underscoring the psychological influences of partners on one another and the dynamics of marriage [25, 26]. These results suggest that the emotional and cognitive processes of partners should be considered not only at the individual level but also in the context of couple dynamics. Observation of partner effects demonstrates that individuals in marital relationships are influenced by the emotional and cognitive processes of their partners, in addition to their own experiences. This situation offers critical insights for the development of interventions, including marriage counseling and couple therapy. Consequently, the cyclical structure of partner effects implies that couples establish a shared emotional and cognitive ecosystem. Consequently, it may be more effective to develop interventions that address individual characteristics, such as boredom and rumination, by simultaneously addressing the individual and their partner. Specifically, jointly implemented stress management strategies and psychoeducational programs for couples may facilitate the improvement of these interactions. Also, these results underscore the significance of partners adopting a more empathetic and encouraging stance toward one another’s shortcomings.

The third discovery is that life satisfaction can be indirectly influenced by partner effects. For instance, through men’s rumination, women’s boredom proneness was discovered to influence their life satisfaction, and men’s boredom proneness was discovered to influence their life satisfaction through women’s rumination. These results are in accordance with prior research that has demonstrated the ability of couples to influence each other’s cognitive processes and emotional states [27, 28]. This discovery implies that the life satisfaction of partners can be influenced by the emotional and cognitive interactions between them, not only directly but also indirectly. In particular, the interdependence and complexity of couple dynamics are revealed by the reflection of emotional tendencies on the life satisfaction of individuals through the cognitive processes of their partners. It also underscores the significance of mutual interactions in the relationships of individuals in relation to subjective well-being indicators, including life satisfaction. Couples should take into account the emotional states of their partners and their impact on cognitive processes, in addition to their own experiences, as indirect effects suggest. In this context, couple interventions can encourage individuals to develop coping strategies together and comprehend their partners’ roles in these processes, rather than solely concentrating on their own stress or boredom proneness. Furthermore, these results indicate that the level of life satisfaction can be enhanced by the emotional support and empathy that couples exhibit toward one another.

Conlusion

The results of this study have significant implications in both theoretical and practical contexts. The findings indicate that boredom proneness triggers rumination, which in turn reduces life satisfaction. The presence of partner effects highlights that individuals in couple relationships influence not only their own emotional processes but also those of their partners. These results underscore that boredom proneness is not merely an individual trait but a dyadic risk factor that operates through rumination to undermine both partners’ well-being. By adopting a dyadic perspective, this study extends the existing literature on marital well-being by clarifying the mutual cognitive–emotional pathways through which boredom and rumination shape satisfaction within intimate relationships. Future research should explore these mechanisms in diverse cultural and relational contexts to enhance the generalizability of these findings.

Limitations and future implications

This study is subject to several limitations that should be acknowledged when interpreting the findings. First, the use of a cross-sectional design prevents the establishment of causal relationships between the variables. Consequently, the findings should be understood as correlational rather than causal. Future research would benefit from adopting longitudinal designs to examine how these relationships evolve over time and to provide stronger evidence for causality. Second, the reliance on self-report measures may have introduced methodological biases such as social desirability bias, recall bias, or subjective interpretation by participants. These factors could potentially influence the accuracy of the responses. To enhance reliability, future studies should consider incorporating alternative data collection methods such as observational techniques, experimental approaches, or multiple data sources. Moreover, the relatively limited sample size and the specific cultural context in which the data were collected restrict the generalizability of the findings. Cross-cultural research and studies conducted in diverse socioeconomic and demographic groups are recommended to test the robustness of these results across different populations. Comparative studies across various cultural settings would also provide valuable insights into how contextual factors may shape the observed relationships. Finally, future investigations should employ larger and more heterogeneous samples, as well as utilize mixed-method designs, experimental methodologies, and multidimensional measurement tools. Such approaches would allow for a more comprehensive exploration of the relationships under study, thereby contributing both to theoretical advancement and to the development of more practical implications.

Authors’ contributions

Author contributions Yusuf Akyıl, Azmi Çağlar and Yakup İme collaboratively wrote the introduction, method, discussion and results sections. All authors reviewed and provided feedback throughout the manuscript writing process. The manuscript has been approved by all authors.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Data availability

The dataset that allowed us to obtain the findings of this research will be provided upon request. For this, the first author of the study should be contacted. The e-mail address of the said author is yusufakyil430@gmail.com.

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The protocol for this study was approved by the Necmettin Erbakan University Social Sciences and Humanities Scientific Research Ethics Committee (Reference Number = 21.02.2025, Verify Code = 2025.132). In addition, this research was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards declared in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and subsequent updates. Informed consent was obtained from all the individual participants that were included in the study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.