The Association Between Father’s Power, Performance, and Mental Stress of First Wife in Monogamous and Polygamous Families: A Comparative Study in Iran

Polygamy is a social reality that results from different sociocultural factors and can alter familial functional harmony and relations, leaving changes in the familial system. The purpose of the present research was to compare polygamous and monogamous families in variables of the senior wife’s stress, father’s power and performance. It also determined the extent of relationships between father’s power, performance, and wife’s stress. The current research was a survey study. The statistical population of the study composed of 400 married females above the age of 16, including 150 senior woman from polygamous families and 250 from monogamous families in Zahedan, Iran in 2018. Participants were assessed using the Cohen, Kamarck, and Mermelstein’s perceived stress scale (PSS) and Mahdavi, Sabouri power scale (PS). Father’s performance scale used by combined McMaster’s functioning scale and Olson’s marital satisfaction scale. Results of mean stress of senior women in polygamous marriages showed significantly more stress mean than their counterparts in monogamous marriages (P < 0.001). In addition, women from polygamous families had more problems than women belong to monogamous families (P < 0.001). The data, as shown, confirm that fathers in polygamous families are more powerful than fathers in monogamous families (P < 0:001). There was a correlation between father’s power and wife’s stress (0.56) and also father’s performance and wife’s stress (-0.67) with 99% confidence level. This study shows that polygamous families confront more problems than monogamous families. The article calls on public policy and social service personnel to increase public awareness of the significance of proper understanding of marital roles and interactions for families well being.