Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Dissertation-Restricted

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Program

Counselor Education

Department

Counselor Education

Major Professor

Dr. Michelle Wade

Second Advisor

Dr. Christopher Belser

Third Advisor

Dr. Panagiotis Markopoulos

Abstract

This study examined how religious commitment relates to marital commitment among Black couples and whether demographic and relational context shapes that association. Guided by Social Exchange Theory (SET), religious engagement was conceptualized as a potential resource that influences commitment by shaping perceived rewards, costs, and constraints within marriage. Using a cross-sectional design, data were analyzed from a minimum target sample of N = 120, with missing data addressed through multiple imputation. Analyses included hierarchical linear regression (with ΔR² and Cohen’s f²) to test main effects and moderation, psychometric evaluation of an intrinsic religiosity subscale, and dyadic pairing procedures using couple identifiers to approximate partner-level inference.

For Research Question 1, religious commitment significantly and positively predicted marital commitment above demographic controls (H1a supported). Several demographic moderation hypotheses were not supported in the predicted direction: the religiosity–commitment association was stronger for men than women (H1b not supported) and stronger among younger participants (H1c not supported). Income did not moderate the association (H1d not supported), denomination differences indicated non-uniform effects across traditions (H1e not supported), and duration moderation in the individual-level models did not align with the hypothesized increasing pattern (H1f not supported). For Research Question 2, intrinsic religiosity—operationalized as Private Religious Practice (PRP)—demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .973) and strong one-factor structure evidence, and explained a statistically significant but small increment in variance in marital commitment beyond demographics (ΔR² = .008, p < .001; f² ≈ .01; H2 supported). For Research Question 3, dyadic analyses showed that religious commitment predicted each partner’s self-reported marital commitment, and marriage duration strengthened the religiosity–commitment relationship. Perceived partner commitment was strongly explained by self-commitment, and religiosity’s influence on perceptions was most evident in longer-duration marriages via a significant religiosity × duration interaction, indicating partial support for H3.

Findings suggest that religiosity is meaningfully associated with marital commitment among Black couples, but its strength varies by demographic context and relationship stage. Practical implications include emphasizing intrinsic practice and meaning-making in culturally responsive relationship supports, tailoring interventions for earlier relationship stages, and avoiding one-size-fits-all assumptions across denominations and gendered experiences of religiosity.

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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