Socio-Psychological Characteristics of Family Conflicts in Young Families

American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research

321

https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajsshr

VOLUME

Vol.05 Issue05 2025

PAGE NO.

321-323

DOI

10.37547/ajsshr/Volume05Issue05-63

Socio-Psychological Characteristics of Family Conflicts in
Young Families

Ergasheva Moxina

1st-year Master's student in Psychology at Jizzakh Branch of the National University of Uzbekistan

Received:

31 March 2025;

Accepted:

29 April 2025;

Published:

31 May 2025

Abstract:

Family conflicts during the first years of marriage often determine the further stability of the marital

union and the psychological well-being of its members. The present study investigates the socio-psychological
characteristics of conflicts in young families in Uzbekistan, emphasising value-motivational factors,
communication patterns, and coping strategies. A mixed-methods design combined a structured survey (N = 312
spouses aged 22

–

32, married up to five years) with thirty semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analysis used

hierarchical regression to identify predictors of conflict intensity, whereas the qualitative stage explored the
subjective meaning attributed to disputes. Results show that incongruence in role expectations and economic
stressors significantly predict verbal aggression, while collectivist value orientation mitigates escalation. Couples
displaying high emotional intelligence and constructive communication report shorter conflict cycles and faster
reconciliation. The discussion contextualises findings within structural-functional and attachment theories,
proposes a culturally adapted model of conflict dynamics, and outlines practical implications for preventive
counselling.

Keywords:

Young families; marital conflict; socio-psychological factors; emotional intelligence; conflict coping;

Uzbekistan.

Introduction:

Early marital years represent a period of

intensive role renegotiation, accompanied by the
integration

of

individual,

dyadic

and

social

expectations. In Uzbekistan, where family remains a
core societal institution, the rapid socio-economic
transformation of the last decade has altered
traditional scripts of conjugal behaviour, thereby
increasing the likelihood of disagreements over
resource

allocation,

career

planning,

and

intergenerational boundaries. International research
confirms

that

unresolved

conflicts

at

this

developmental stage correlate with decreased life
satisfaction, the emergence of depressive symptoms,
and negative parenting practices. Nevertheless,
cultural variability in value hierarchies, gender role
prescriptions and conflict expression demands local
empirical assessment. To date, most regional studies
have focused on statistical prevalence or juridical
consequences of early divorce, leaving the socio-
psychological

mechanics

of

disagreements

insufficiently described. Addressing this gap, the
present work examines the content, frequency and
subjective appraisal of conflicts in young Uzbek
families, linking these parameters to personality traits,
socio-demographic variables, and relational skills.
Formulating evidence-based recommendations also
accords with state programmes on strengthening
family cohesion and with the Higher Attestation

Commission’s priority areas in social psychology.

A convergent mixed-methods strategy ensured
comprehensive coverage of both measurable
predictors and lived experience. The quantitative phase

employed the “Marital Interaction Questionnaire”
(adapted Russian version; Cronbach’s α = 0.86) and the
“Trait Emotional Intelligence Short Form” (α = 0.78).

Participants

—

156 couples recruited through family

clinics in Tashkent, Samarkand and Namangan

—

completed instruments individually under researcher
supervision. Socio-economic parameters included
education, employment status, monthly income and

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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)

living

arrangement.

Conflict

intensity

was

operationalised as the mean score of disagreement
frequency, emotional arousal and solution latency.
Data were analysed in SPSS 28 using Pearson
correlations and hierarchical regression with enter
method; significance threshold set at p < 0.05.

The qualitative phase involved thirty in-depth
interviews (14 husbands, 16 wives) selected by
maximum variation sampling from the survey cohort.
Interviews lasted 60

–

90 minutes and explored typical

conflict themes, perceived triggers, emotional
sequences and reconciliation styles. Verbatim
transcripts were coded in NVivo 14 following thematic
analysis

with

inductive

category

generation.

Triangulation across researchers enhanced credibility,
while member checking with five couples validated
interpretive accuracy. Ethical approval was obtained
from the University of Business and Science Research
Committee; written informed consent preceded
participation, and anonymity was assured through
alphanumeric identifiers.

The average conflict frequency reported was 3.2
episodes per week (SD = 1.1). Regression analysis
revealed that discrepancy in spousal role expectations

(β = 0.37, p < 0.001) and monthly income below the
national median (β = 0.25, p = 0.003

) significantly

predicted higher conflict intensity after controlling for
age, education and number of children. Emotional
intelligence displayed a negative association with

intensity (β = −0.29, p = 0.001), indicating a buffering

effect. Couples living with parents showed elevated
scores for intergenerational boundary disputes but
reduced financial quarrels.

Qualitative findings identified five recurrent thematic
clusters, the most salient being allocation of domestic
duties,

budget

management,

and

digital

communication

habits.

Participants

described

escalation trajectories beginning with mild irritation,
progressing to verbal provocation, and occasionally
culminating in emotional withdrawal. Notably,
collectivist values

—

expressed in phrases such as

“maintaining familial harmony”—

functioned both as a

restraining norm against overt hostility and as a source
of internalised pressure, especially for wives balancing
employment and traditional caregiving expectations.
Constructive coping manifested through time-outs,
humour and perspective-taking; destructive patterns
included stonewalling, sarcasm and coalition formation
with in-laws. Husbands with higher trait emotional
regulation narrated a conscious shift from accusatory
language to problem-solving dialogue, facilitating
quicker de-escalation.

The emerging portrait of conflict in young Uzbek

families gains greater clarity when situated within
several complementary theoretical frames. Family
systems theory emphasises that discord rarely stems
from isolated dyadic disagreements; rather, it
reverberates through interdependent subsystems that
include in-laws, siblings and even workplace networks.

Participants’ accounts of mediation attempts by elders

illustrate how systemic feedback loops can swiftly
convert a minor disagreement over household chores
into a multigenerational negotiation of status and

obligation. By integrating Bronfenbrenner’s ecological

perspective, we observe that macro-level forces such
as rising urban housing costs and expanding female
labour-force participation exert distal yet palpable
pressure on micro-level interactions, often compelling
couples to postpone childbirth or accept co-
residence

—

conditions that earlier regression models

flagged as conflict catalysts.

Social-exchange theory further illuminates the way
spouses calculate perceived fairness. Interview
narratives revealed that economic contributions alone
seldom satisfy expectations of equity; intangible
currencies

—

emotional availability, recognition of

career ambitions and respect for extended kin

—

carry

equivalent weight. Where spouses sensed a chronic
imbalance, they reported greater propensity to
withhold affection or engage in passive resistance
rather than overt confrontation, confirming findings
from collectivist contexts that value relationship
maintenance over individual venting.

Gender norms are in flux, producing a hybrid repertoire
of behaviours. Husbands endorsing egalitarian
attitudes reported lower conflict escalation, yet some
expressed identity strain when financial instability
undermined their culturally assigned provider role; this
ambivalence occasionally manifested as defensive
sarcasm. Conversely, wives negotiating dual roles as
wage-

earners and primary caregivers described “silent

fatigue,” an antecedent to emotional w

ithdrawal that

the quantitative survey captured as reduced problem-
solving efficacy. These observations echo regional

studies on the “double burden” phenomenon, but they

also reveal adaptive potential: couples who jointly
redefined success criteria

—

from income metrics to

shared developmental goals

—

experienced a shift

toward collaborative problem framing that diminished
adversarial framing.

Digital technology emerged as a double-edged
influence.

Instant

messaging

enabled

rapid

reconciliation through affectionate emojis, yet it also
facilitated covert comparison with idealised couples
displayed on social media, raising expectations for
conflict-free harmony and intensifying dissatisfaction.
This aligns with global evidence linking social-media

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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)

exposure to marital envy but highlights the need for
culturally nuanced digital-literacy interventions that
normalise healthy disagreement.

Policy implications extend beyond premarital
counselling curricula. Municipal housing programmes
that incentivise autonomous living could indirectly
reduce intergenerational boundary conflicts, while
workplace initiatives promoting flexible hours might
ease the time-scarcity stressor identified in qualitative
accounts. Clinicians should incorporate emotion-
focused therapy components that honour collectivist
values of harmony yet teach assertive dialogue,
avoiding the Western pitfall of encouraging individual
expression detached from relational context.

Finally, methodological refinements are warranted.
Future longitudinal designs could deploy ecological
momentary assessment via smartphone diaries to map
conflict triggers in real time and disentangle transient
mood effects from enduring relational patterns.
Incorporating psychophysiological markers

—

heart-

rate variability or cortisol rhythms

—

would deepen

understanding of stress regulation across conflict
episodes. Comparative studies across Central Asian
republics may also reveal how varying degrees of
modernisation mediate similar socio-psychological
processes, offering a broader platform for culturally
grounded theory building.

CONCLUSION

Conflicts in young Uzbek families arise from both socio-
economic adjustments and interpersonal skill deficits.
Role expectation misalignment and financial pressure
intensify disputes, whereas emotional intelligence and
collectivist harmony norms mitigate escalation.
Preventive interventions should combine economic
counselling with psycho-educational modules on
emotional regulation and dialogue techniques, tailored
to the cultural value landscape. Strengthening these
competencies during the critical early marital period
promises to enhance long-term family stability and
psychological well-being.

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