The family is the basic structure on which society is based and is considered the common denominator between human beings on their cultural, religious, and geographical differences, its formation is based on marriage legislated by Allah - Almighty - to be succeeded humanity and the stability of married life is one of the goals that the individual is keen on because of the positive effects that extend to the family as a whole [5], and according to The statistics shown by the Saudi General Authority for Statistics related to marriage and divorce for the year (2020), the total number of marriage contracts reached (117,150) contracts, which increased from (2019) by (9.8%) and the total number of divorce bonds reached (595.57) instruments, which increased for the year (2019) by (12.7%), and the high results may be an indication of the need to understand the mechanisms that promote successful marriages, one of the most important pillars on which the stability of the marital relationship is based is satisfaction between spouses, and this explains the interest of many in the concept of marital satisfaction because it is an indicator of the success of marriage [6], which is the state of happiness and psychological bliss resulting from satisfying the needs in the marital relationship, which in turn leads to marital satisfaction [7], and when mentioning marital satisfaction, it is necessary to refer to the positive orientation of psychology, which is from which the problem of the current study stems, which gives importance to the positive features that make the lives of individuals happier and more effective. According to the view of the pioneer of this trend, Martin Seligman [8], where it is based on studying the axes of one of which focuses on positive experiences such as satisfaction and gratitude [9], gratitude is one of the modern concepts in positive psychology, and it is an important positive emotion for personal and social growth, as its expression enhances personal bonds, and Seligman and his colleagues defined it as awareness and gratitude for the good things that exist in one’s life [8]. The theory of Algoe [10] Find- Remind and Bind refers to a new and different role of gratitude, which illustrates how gratitude strengthens reciprocal relationships, as it assumes that positive feelings of gratitude are based on strengthening the relationship with the partner.

From another angle in positive psychology, there are close links between it and Mindfulness when referring to the results of Mindfulness, it is based on increased positivity, a greater sense of cohesion, a better quality of life, more empathy, more satisfying relationships and greater hope [11], and it is defined as focusing on the present moment and attention without judgment, and its purpose is to help the individual understand himself, perceive his reality more clearly, and enjoy a more life. Satisfaction, and those who have a high degree of Mindfulness show in the future many positive qualities such as tolerance and empathy [12].

It is noted that in the past two decades, gratitude and Mindfulness have become thriving topics in research with of evidence linking them to the results of more positive marital relationships. Marital satisfaction can be predicted through many positive traits and cognitive abilities, as the study of [13] confirmed the role of gratitude in strengthening relationships, and the study of Ramdhani and Afiatin, [14] on the effectiveness of a gratitude-based program in increasing marital satisfaction among married women. The study of Saeidi, Ebrahimi and Soleimani [15] also showed that gratitude is directly and indirectly associated with higher marital satisfaction.

Despite the small number of researches Studies that dealt with the effect of mindfulness on marital satisfaction, which agreed on the effectiveness of the Mindfulness factor in marital satisfaction [16], Ellen Langer, author of the theory of Mindfulness, in a study looking at the relationship between mindfulness and marital satisfaction, indicated a strong relationship between mindfulness and marital satisfaction compared to other variables. [17] and a study [18] stated that Mindfulness and problem-solving skills significantly predict marital satisfaction, and in a study [19] examined the three variables on Greek society, whose results showed that gratitude for each of the couples is more relevant and predictive than Mindfulness with marital satisfaction, although Mentality softens this relationship, and based on the above, the importance of the study is evident in knowing the contribution of both gratitude and Mindfulness in predicting marital satisfaction, and Accordingly, the problem of the study is determined in the main question, which states, (Does gratitude and Mindfulness have the ability to predict marital satisfaction?) A number of the following sub-questions emerge from the main question:

1. What is the relationship between gratitude and marital satisfaction among married women in Riyadh?
2. What is the relationship between Mindfulness and marital satisfaction among married women in Riyadh?
3. What is the relative contribution of gratitude and Mindfulness in predicting marital satisfaction among married women in Riyadh?

1. Study population and sample: The study population consisted of all married women in Riyadh, numbering (779,493) married, according to the latest statistics of the General Authority for Statistics for the year (2023), and the sample was selected in a stratified random way from the beneficiaries of the services of the King Salman Social Center and the Mawaddah and Rahma Center for Psychological and Family Counseling in Riyadh, and they were divided according to the following sample characteristics: educational level (secondary - bachelor’s - postgraduate studies), and years of marriage (0-1 recent marriage, 1-5 years, 5-10 years, 10 years and more), and the sample was identified, which numbered (250) married women.
2. Instruments
   • Gratitude Scale: Prepared by [1] The scale in its final form consists of (28) items on two dimensions, after gratitude to the Allah and the number of its phrases (13) and after gratitude to those who have provided us with a service from humans and the number of its phrases (15), and the answer to the scale is graded through five gradations: (very agree - agree - neutral - object - very objection), and the degree of the respondent on the scale is estimated by giving him a score ranging between (1-5) on each paragraph with the observation of the opposite phrases, which are on the scale (statement 7), and the total degree of the examinee on the positive side of the gratitude variable indicates that the higher the total score, this indicates the high gratitude characteristic, and the psychometric properties of the scale were verified by calculating the sincerity of internal consistency, and stability in the Cronbach alpha method, where it reached (0.92), and the stability reached the half-segmentation method (0,86).

     In the current study, the psychometric properties were verified using the honesty of the arbitrators, and to verify the sincerity of internal consistency, it was applied to an exploratory sample of (50) married women, where the correlation coefficients were calculated, and the stability was measured using the Cronbach alpha coefficient, which amounted to (0.89), and this indicates that the gratitude scale has a high degree of stability.

   • Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire: The questionnaire in the original form prepared by [2] and translated into Arabic language [3] to measure Mindfulness skills as a trait and includes five dimensions of Mindfulness, namely observation, description, conscious behavior, non-judgment of experiences, and non-reaction, and consists of (39) paragraph, and corrects in a five-answer Likert method starting from very rare (degree) to always real (five degrees), noting the opposite statements, which are on the scale:( 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30, 34, 35, 38, 39).The psychometric properties of the scale were also verified by calculating the validity of internal consistency, the stability of the Cronbach alpha method (0.74), and the half-fractionation of the Spearman-Brown methods (0.75) and Getman (0.74).

     In the current study, the psychometric properties were verified using the honesty of the arbitrators, and to verify the validity of internal consistency, it was applied to the survey sample, and the correlation coefficients were calculated, and the stability was measured using the Cronbach alpha coefficient, which amounted to (0.71), and the results indicate that the scale has a high degree of stability and honesty.

   • Marital Satisfaction Scale: Prepared by [20] and consists of (45) items distributed on six dimensions: after emotional communication, after sexual satisfaction, after general satisfaction with marriage, after economic satisfaction, after satisfaction with spending time, after marital problems, and correcting the scale is done in a five-point Likert manner, starting with always occurs (five degrees), never occurs (degree) except for the opposite items, which are: (5, 6, 7, 10, 19, 20, 25, 28, 30, 34, 36, 40, 41, 43).

The psychometric properties of the scale were also verified by calculating the validity of the arbitrators and the sincerity of internal consistency, and stability by the method of alpha Cronbach where the stability coefficient was (0.94), and also the scale was reapplied to the survey sample with an interval of two weeks and then calculated Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the two times of application, where its total score reached (0.92). In the current study, the psychometric properties were verified using the honesty of the arbitrators, and to verify the sincerity of the internal consistency, it was applied to the survey sample, and the correlation coefficients were calculated, and the truthfulness indicators indicate a sufficient height that can be trusted in the application of the current study, and stability was measured using the Cronbach alpha coefficient, which amounted to (0.95), and the results indicate high degrees of honesty and stability that can be relied upon in the field application of the study.

A. The existence of a direct correlation between gratitude and marital satisfaction among married women in the city of Riyadh

Table 1 shows that there is a direct correlation at the level of (0.01) Between the total degree of gratitude and marital satisfaction among married women in the city of Riyadh, where the correlation coefficient was (0.470) and the probability value (0.000), which is less than (0.05), and this means that the greater the gratitude, the greater the marital satisfaction of married women in the city of Riyadh.

The existence of a direct correlation between Mindfulness and marital satisfaction among married women in the city of Riyadh:

Table 2 shows the existence of a positive correlation at the level of (0.01) between all dimensions of Mindfulness and marital satisfaction except after (not judging experiences), and the existence of a positive correlation at the level of (0.01) between the total degree of Mindfulness and marital satisfaction among married women in the city of Riyadh, where the correlation coefficient was (0.507) and the p-value = (0.000) which is less than (0.01), and this means that the greater the Mindfulness, the greater the marital satisfaction of married women in the city of Riyadh.

The existence of a relative contribution to both gratitude and Mindfulness in predicting marital satisfaction among married women in Riyadh:

Table 3 shows that there is a relative contribution of gratitude and Mindfulness in predicting marital satisfaction among married women in Riyadh, reaching (30.04%), which is considered a relatively large percentage.

The first result agreed with what several studies from previous studies have indicated weather, for example: [15,21-30]. The researcher attributes this to the fact that the wife who enjoys a great deal of gratitude can achieve marital satisfaction, since gratitude in this case works as a mechanism that can remind wives of the good characteristics in their husbands and their love and linking them to each other over time, and thus gratitude leads to positive results on the marital relationship in terms of increasing satisfaction or as a protective factor that works to maintain the relationship, and this interpretation agrees with what she pointed out [10] in her theory Find- Remind and Bind, which proposed a function of gratitude by reminding individuals of their partners’ attractive and good characteristics and connecting them to each other over time through a sense of appreciation that would help strengthen the relationship. Another view supporting the above finding is Fredrickson’ s theory of expansion and construction, which holds that positive emotions such as gratitude expand the way of thinking where the grateful mind is expanded to include the awareness of the role played by others in achieving his well-being, which increases his positive feeling in return [31]. Here, the researcher believes based on the theory that the feeling of gratitude of wives makes them aware and appreciative of the care and support they receive from their husbands, which leads to an increase in their marital satisfaction in return.

The researcher interprets the second result based on the interpretation of Langer’s theory of Mindfulness as the ability to see things in modern ways and from multiple angles without making judgments, which results in the individual openness to different points of view and acceptance of everything new [12], and from this perspective the researcher believes that Mindfulness is an effective strategy for managing the mind in terms of observation, perception, non-judgments and non-automatic reaction, and it has many benefits Couples should such as being aware of problems and stresses psychology, not responding spontaneously to feelings of anger, not judging and accepting the husband is not always perfect, accepting and dealing with life’s difficulties, recognizing and observing the role of their behaviors in the husband’s reactions, etc. All of the above benefits of Mindfulness play an important role in achieving marital satisfaction. The theory of social exchange has also explained that it results when the wife realizes the advantages she receives from the husband and her continued sense of satisfaction and affection, which is due to her sense of profit from the interaction between her and her husband, the wife who enjoys a high degree of Mindfulness has the ability to observe and perceive these characteristics more than those who have a lower degree. On the other hand, creating an open approach characterized by acceptance that comes with Mindfulness to all points of view, careful reflex, a state of mindfulness without distraction, meaningful and permanent dialogue when facing problems with the husband and finding appropriate solutions increases marital satisfaction, according to Gottman’s interpretation of marital satisfaction that it is achieved through positive interaction and constant dialogue to solve the problems facing the couple. The result of the present study supports many of the results of the studies. Previous studies, for example: [25,32-38] all confirmed a relationship between Mindfulness and marital satisfaction.

As for the dimension (not judging experiences) as one of the dimensions of Mindfulness, which was not related to marital satisfaction, it is somewhat unexpected, and the reason for this may be due to the difference in the sample and its characteristics in their study as it was applied to the couple (males and females) or due to the experience of the sample by practicing Mindfulness or some meditation exercises, which increases the dimension of Mindfulness more than another dimension they have according to the type of exercise, and the researcher believes that the association of four dimensions of Mindfulness with satisfaction Marital number is good to show the benefit of Mindfulness on marital satisfaction and its association with it, as the wives in this study who have Mindfulness have after observation and after description and after acting and also after not interacting with the internal experience, and all these aspects have a benefit when seeing charity and giving and observing it automatically generates love and satisfaction.

Finally, the third result indicates a relative contribution to both gratitude and Mindfulness in predicting marital satisfaction among married women in Riyadh, and the result agreed with what was stated in many previous studies, for example: the study of Sigala [19], the study of [25], and the study of [39,40].

The researcher explains that contribution that there are many things around us happening and deserve appreciation, but it is difficult for the individual to express his gratitude not because he lacks this method, but perhaps because of habituation and lack of observation and here comes the role of Mindfulness as a process of awareness to realize the individual around him with a new magnifying and curious lens that allows him to observe what is happening around him, and to employ this we refer to wives who have a high degree of Mindfulness and have mental presence and focus attention to what is happening and the ability To express their feelings, they have the ability to observe the husband’s actions and his role in providing the needs of the family, working to meet the requirements, helping with education and other matters, which leads to her appreciation and a sense of gratitude, which returns to them satisfaction with him and her marital relationship.

In conclusion, the results proved the validity of the efforts made to study the contribution of gratitude and Mindfulness in predicting marital satisfaction, and these results indicate that Mindfulness and gratitude may be useful factors and have good contributions to be addressed in a pilot study as an addition to marital treatments for those who suffer from low marital satisfaction.

The limits of the objective study are to know the relative contribution of both gratitude and Mindfulness in predicting marital satisfaction among married women, and the study was applied during the year (2023), so the results are determined by the characteristic that was applied.

1. The need to highlight the role of gratitude and Mindfulness in the marital relationship.
2. The attention of family and marital counseling centers to raise the level of gratitude and Mindfulness of married women to help them achieve the greatest degree of marital satisfaction.
3. Provide courses that include education and practice of gratitude and mindfulness exercises for married women to help them build a satisfying and stable marital relationship.
4. The need to guide the development of gratitude behavior and Mindfulness among children and society as a whole, because of its good effect to improve relationships and increase satisfaction with them.

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University for funding Supporting this work through the Students Research Support Program.

The authors declare no conflict of interests. All authors read and approved final version of the paper.

All authors contributed equally in this paper.

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