The Association between Gender Role Attitudes, Emotion Regulation, and Relationship Satisfaction in Turkish Women

Abstract Book of the 7th Global Conference on Women’s Studies

Year: 2025

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The Association between Gender Role Attitudes, Emotion Regulation, and Relationship Satisfaction in Turkish Women

Dr. Ezgi Tuna Kaykusuz, Begum Bagci, Bilge Eylul Kayaanit, Ezgi Cicek, Ipek Bulbul

ABSTRACT:

This study examined the relationships between attitudes towards gender roles, emotion regulation strategies, and relationship satisfaction among 217 Turkish women (Mage = 42.98, SD = 7.70) who reported being in a romantic relationship. Participants completed the Gender Role Attitudes Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Behavioral Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Relationship Stability Scale. Data was collected online. Findings revealed that more egalitarian gender role attitudes were associated with decreased use of expressive suppression and increased use of social support seeking and actively approaching strategies. However, egalitarian attitudes were not directly linked to relationship satisfaction and emotion regulation strategies did not mediate this relationship. These results suggest that while endorsing egalitarian values are associated with emotion regulation processes, this may not necessarily relate to satisfaction in romantic relationships. Our findings offer insight into the complex relationship between gender role attitudes, emotional processes, and relationship dynamics in the Turkish cultural context.

Keywords: attitudes towards gender roles, emotion regulation, relationship satisfaction, romantic relationships, Turkish women