Personality and Marital Breakup in Heterosexual Couples: An Integrative Review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21664/2238-8869.2025v14i1.p362-381

Keywords:

personality, rupture, conjugality, satisfaction

Abstract

This study aims to carry out a systematic review of scientific articles relating personality and marital breakdown of heterosexual couples, analyzing the literature on this topic from the Big Five Personality Traits as a theoretical framework.  Researches on Scielo, CAPES and BVS databases found 7 articles about this issue, from which 2 were selected. One of them, which came closest to the research topic, was placed in the AI software Research Rabits, where 5,200 related articles were tracked. Using the filter of articles published in the last 8 years, 9 articles were selected, totalizing 11 articles for evaluation, after further discussion with an independent committee. The analysis shows an international and national overview of the proposed topic, highlighting few publications and studies in Brazil that correlate personality as an element of marital breakup in heterosexual couples. The selected literature shows there is consensus relating personality and relationship satisfaction, which interferes in the marital breakdown process, especially regarding neuroticism.

Keywords: Personality; rupture; conjugality; satisfaction.

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Published

2025-02-18

How to Cite

ESPINDOLA, Marisa Mota da Silva; COSTA NETO, Sebastião Benício da. Personality and Marital Breakup in Heterosexual Couples: An Integrative Review. Fronteiras - Journal of Social, Technological and Environmental Science, [S. l.], v. 14, n. 1, p. 362–381, 2025. DOI: 10.21664/2238-8869.2025v14i1.p362-381. Disponível em: https://revistas.unievangelica.edu.br/index.php/fronteiras/article/view/7718. Acesso em: 22 feb. 2025.