Relationship

Genette believes that ‘point of view’ is inadequate to expound the differences between the person who sees and the person who narrates. After years of controversy, he proposes the term ‘focalization’ to clarify this difference. Focalization focuses on the person who sees as a subjective moment of perception. Perceiving can take every character of a novel, to a higher level of subjectivity. Later, Meike Bal added new dimensions to his term. The present study, focuses on Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife. Two main characters of the novel are focalizers inside of the story whose insights are revealed through the narrative processes of the events. The internal focalization changeably shifts from mother to daughter and vice versa. This study aims to investigate the concept of character focalizer and narrator focalizer in the light of Gerard Genette’s and Mieke Bal’s narratological theory of focalization. Further, it explores the moments of focalizations of the two characters, Winnie, the mother, and Pearl, the daughter. Focalizing the moment of understanding through the improvement of the complex story is discussed, which helps the two characters reach a higher level of subjectivity to overcome their gap.

Objective: This study aimed to validate the Persian version of the Relationship Flourishing Scale (RFS) on a sample of married Iranian students. Method: The study was descriptive-correlational and applied in nature. The sample consisted of 352 individuals (89% female), selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. The data collection tools included the Fowers et al.'s Relationship Flourishing Scale (2016), Adams et al.'s Sexual Mindfulness Questionnaire (2015), and the short form of Booth et al.'s Marital Instability Questionnaire (1989). Data analysis was performed using SPSS26 and AMOS24 software, utilizing descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis (Cronbach's Alpha, Pearson correlation, and construct validity and reliability). Findings: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis were satisfactory, confirming the psychometric properties of the Relationship Flourishing Scale. The factor structure of the questionnaire, consisting of four factors (having meaning, shared goals, personal growth, and being in a relationship), was validated. Cronbach's Alpha calculated for the overall questionnaire was 0.83, and for the factors having meaning, shared goals, personal growth, and being in a relationship, it was 0.82, 0.83, 0.89, and 0.80 respectively, confirming the construct reliability. Fit indices (GFI = 0.90, NFI = 0.92, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.91, CMIN/df = 4.92) were within acceptable ranges, and construct validity was confirmed. Conclusions: The factor structure of the original English version of the Relationship Flourishing Scale was replicated, and satisfactory internal reliability was found. Consequently, the translated Persian version of the Relationship Flourishing Scale can serve as a valid tool for assessing the quality of marital relationships in research and clinical settings within the Iranian community.

Objective: Attachment insecurities along with emotional processing difficulties, pose important risks on romantic relationships. This study aims to investigate possible associations and the interplay of alexithymia and attachment orientation on relationship quality in romantic couples. Methods: We used the actor–partner interdependence model and data from 56 heterosexual couples (N=112), who completed measures of attachment orientation, alexithymia and dyadic adjustment. Findings: Regression models indicated that both dimensions of attachment insecurity were associated with alexithymia and they consistently predicted lower relationship quality. Partner’s level of alexithymia moderated the relationship between attachment anxiety and dyadic adjustment. No significant interaction effects between attachment avoidance and alexithymia, were detected. Conclusion: The results point to the interdependent nature of emotional deficits and their effects on couple’s relationship quality. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are also discussed.