SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL.
2
PAPER 165
THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE PRACTICE OF
TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TO SUBJECTIVE EVALUATIONS
OF MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT
VERNA
W.
SUAREz•
School of Education, University of Southern California, California, U.S.A.
Research completed June 1976.
•vema W. Suarez is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor in private practice in West Los Angeles.
Couples were found to have better adjusted and happier marriages as a result
of the Transcendental Meditation programme.
125
f-
p<.OS
120 -
The following figures have been pre- ·
pared for illustrative purposes.
-EDITORS
til
~
115 -
0
~
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110 -
105 FIG. 1. THETRANSCENDENTALMEDITATIONTECHNIQU~
IMPROVES MARITAL ADJUSTMENT. Long-term medi-
tators had significantly higher scores on the LockeWallace Test of Marital Adjustment than shortterm meditators (p < .05).
1184
SHORT-TERM
LONG-TERM
TM
TM
(N=S8)
(N=87)
SUAREZ
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT -PAPER
25
,....
24
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23
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22
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21
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165
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SHORTTERM
LONGTERM
SHORTTERM
LONGTERM
SHORTTERM
LONGTERM
SHORTTERM
TM
TM
TM
TM
TM
TM
TM
HAPPINESS
AGREEMENT
ON CONDUCT
AGREEMENT
ON RECREATION
-
LONGTERM
TM
SATISFACTION
WITH MARRIAGE
FIG. 2. COMPARISON BETWEEN SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM MEDITATORS ON ITEMS OF THE LOCKE-WALLACE TEST OF
MARITAL ADJUSTMENT ..
7.0
p<.05
p<.05
111
p<.05
p<.05
p<.05
111 11
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~ 6.0
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0
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~
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L
SHORTTERM
LONGTERM
TM
TM
ACCEPTING
SPOUSE
SHORTTERM
LONGTERM
TM
TM
ADMIRING
SPOUSE
SHORTTERM
-
LONGTERM
TM
TM
HAPPINESS
IN
MARRIAGE
SHORTTERM
LONGTERM
TM
TM
HARMONY
IN
MARRIAGE
SHORTTERM
LONGTERM
TM
TM
INTIMACY
IN
MARRIAGE
FIG. 3. COMPARISON BETWEEN SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM MEDITATORS ON ITEMS OF THE SUAREZ MINI-TEST OF MARITAL SATISFACTION.
1185
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL.
2
The following is an abbreviated version of the author's original master's thesis presented to the Faculty of the
School of Education, University of Southern California, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Science in Education.© 1976 Verna W. Suarez.
This study was conducted to assess the effects of the practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique
on the marital relationship. The sample, consisting of 105 meditating couples and 10 individual meditators,
was tested one time on the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, the short form, and on the Suarez
Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, an experimental test.
For data analysis the results ofthe shortest-term meditators ( 1 month to 23 months) were compared to the data
of the longest-term meditators (4 to 8 years). The longer-term meditators scored higher on the total
Locke-Wallace Test (p <.05) and on degree of happiness compared to other couples (p <.01 ), agreement on
conduct and conventionality (p <.01 ), agreement on recreation (p <.05 ), and had fewer wishes that they had
not married (p <.05 ). On the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction longer-term meditators scored higher
on acceptance of.\pouse (p < .05 ), admiration of spouse ( p < .05 ), rating of their marital happiness (p < .05 ),
and on ratings of harmony and intimacy in marriage ( p < .05 ). Respondents found their marriages to be
happier as a result (~l the TM practice. They attributed their increased happiness to the fact that they were
growing as individuals and they were more relaxed, loving, and accepting.
INTRODUCTION
The individual is the basic unit of society. The
married couple is the next basic unit of society. It is
within the structure provided by this relationship
(marriage) that individuals grow and learn how to
love, respect, and live with themselves and how to
love, respect, and live with others. Whatever deficits or values exist within this basic structure of
marriage reflect deeply on the lives of all involved.
THE PROBLEM-The current trend of society has
been to move away from tradition and old social
values. Along with this has come increasing mobility, fewer ties to church, relatives, community, and
old friends. The cumulative effect of all of this has
been to put more and more pressure on the marriage
to fill social, emotional, and physical needs of the
partners. As a result, more and more marriages are
ending in unhappiness and divorce. More and more
people are needing to find ways to improve the
quality of their marriages. Currently marriage and
family therapy, along with some sensitivity groups
and communication training are seeking to fill this
domain with moderate success. Current research on
the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique and
personal reports of those who practice it suggest that
it may offer an alternative or supplementary approach to improving the marital relationship.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY -Happiness in marriage
may in a large part bear directly upon each individ-
1186
ual 's capacity to experience happiness and to create
for himself a happy environment. To the degree that
a person is mentally and physically healthy, is centered within himself, able to meet his own needs, and
capable of intimate contact, it is the author's opinion
that he will be able to develop a rich and satisfying
marital relationship. TM, according to its major
proponent, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (4), is basically
a program for the development of an individual to the
height of his full human potential. As his alleged
capacity to live, enjoy, and grow increases, it is
reasoned by the author that one very important area
of his life, his marriage, would reflect that growth,
and that greater happiness and adjustment would be
the natural result. This is a study of couples who both
meditate. Hypothetically, both spouses would be
growing and changing together. Any great spurt of
growth in only one partner might have quite different
effects and so this study is limited only to couples
who both meditate.
In marital counseling, one major area of concern is
the conflict between the partners and the tension that
is experienced between them. These tensions
may take many forms such as: being demanding and
never satisfied; not listening to the other's feelings;
being verbally hurtful; not asking for what one
wants and being angry because the needs aren't met;
sexual withdrawal; fighting over insignificant
things or over things that mask the real issues which
are too frightening or painful to discuss; putting up
SUAREZ
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT -PAPER
with behavior that is demeaning and being resentful;
taking out personal problems on the spouse. Methods commonly employed to alleviate these tensions
are: to develop insight; to teach people to be aware
of what they want and ask directly; to teach people
communication skills so that they can accurately
communicate their feelings and accurately listen and
understand their spouse's feelings; teach people to
negotiate and make contracts with each other to get
what they want; teach people how to give and
receive physical affection and sexual pleasure.
These techniques are used with varying degrees of
success to improve marital relationships. One major
area which has been virtually ignored is that of
tension reduction of each of the two partpers. Less
tension could lead to less bickering and a more calm
state of mind in which each partner could listen to
his own feelings and his partner's in a more clear
and appropriate way. Also, if a person is relieving
his own personal tensions it stands to reason that the
marital relationship would be subject to less strain.
TM is said by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to release not
only the current stress that an individual is experiencing, but also the long-standing stresses that have
been embedded in the nervous system.
The major purpose of this study then was to see
what relationship exists between the length of practice of TM, which proponents claim leads to personal growth and tension reduction, and marital
adjustment scores. Also, to evaluate personal statements as to the effect, if any, that commencing the
practice of TM has had on the subjects' marital
rei ati onshi p.
If the practice of TM appears beneficial to the
marital relationship, it might provide at a small
expenditure of time, energy, and money greater satisfaction to those who already have a basically good
relationship and perhaps a valuable adjunct to marital counseling techniques for those who are poorly
adjusted and dissatisfied with their marriages.
RESEARCH ON MARITAL ADJUSTMENT -Research
on marital adjustment and Transcendental Meditation is limited to one study carried out by Elaine
N. Aron and Arthur Aron ( 1), both teachers of psychology at Maharishi International University in
Fairfield, Iowa. Their study was conducted during
October 1974. The hypothesis of the study was that
the TM program is effective in promoting marital
satisfaction. To test this hypothesis 17 married
women who were known to have received instruc-
165
tion in the TM program were compared to 17 controls (matched for marriage length, age, and
neighborhood) on the Locke Marital Adjustment Inventory.
One strength of the study is that all the known
married couples in a small mid-western city (city is
not stated) who had been instructed in the TM
technique were attempted to be included in the study.
Only 17 of the original 23 could be contacted and
used. We do not know how many could not be
reached. Controls were selected by using the
neighbor immediately to the right or left of the TM
subject when they could be contacted or another
neighbor if they could not. At the beginning, the
interviewers, both meditators themselves, were not
told which addresses were experimental and which
were controls. Toward the end of the study the interviewers were aware which subjects were experimental and which were controls, the exact number we are
not told. Without knowledge of the number it is
difficult to assess the significance of this fact.
Another strength of the study is that none of the
interviewees was aware that the research had anything to do with the TM technique, thereby equalizing the need of all respondents to answer in a socially
desirable way. Respondents were told that they were
participating in a study which was designed to help
people to choose a marriage partner.
Interviews as such were not carried out. Each
woman was asked to fill out the Locke Marital Adjustment Inventory and a second developmental
questionnaire which was designed to embed questions as to whether a person was meditating and if so
how regularly. Unfortunately, the authors do not indicate the statistical significance of any of the other
programs people were involved in to improve their
marriages.
The control group was matched very closely to
the experimental group. For those who practiced the
TM technique the mean age was 29.82, had been
married a mean of 9. 12 years, had a mean of 1. 18
children, and indicated they had received a mean of
15.24 years of education and their husbands 17.12
years. For the matched controls, "means were: age,
31 years; length of marriage, 8.76 years; number of
children, 1.18; interviewee's years of education,
15.65; husband's years of education, 17.47. There
were no significant differences between experimental and control interviewees on any of these variables
1187
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL.
(t < 1 in all cases)."
The following are the results reported by the
Arons: Mean score on the Locke Inventory for meditators was 138.10, for controls, 128.31. The difference between groups was statistically significant at
the . 025 level of confidence, using the Wilcoxon
rank sum test for paired experiments. For the nine
experimental subjects that indicated they were still
practicing regularly, the mean score was 141.02,
and the mean of their matching controls was 134.81.
The difference was also significant (p < .01).
Indeed, the difference between the regular meditators and their matched controls was significantly
greater than the corresponding difference for the
irregular meditators (p <. 05, Mann- Whitney lJtest).
One deficit of the study is that it includes only the
wives in the study. Husbands and wives often differ
in the degree of marital success reported.
Burgess and Wallin, in their study of 1, 000 couples,
reported a .41 correlation between the maritaladjustment scores. Locke found no correlation between marital-adjustment scores of divorced subjects and only . 36 for the happily married husbands
and their wives. These correlations indicate that in
a considerable proportion of cases a union regarded
as very satisfactory by one partner is viewed in a
somewhat or entirely different light by the other
(2, p. 325).
In this study, therefore, we have knowledge of only
the marital satisfaction of wives and not of
husbands.
When the validity of the test was being measured,
the mean adjustment score for the well-adjusted
group it was being tested on, was 135.9 (3). So,
although the meditating group had statistically significantly higher scores, the means of all the groups
fell within the well-adjusted range.
Other limiting factors in the study are the small
number of respondents and the geographically small
area studied. In spite of these limiting factors, the
study suggests that TM may have a beneficial effect
on marital adjustment and satisfaction.
This study will attempt: 1) to validate the Arons'
study, 2) to assess an overall norm for the marital
adjustment of couples who practice TM, and 3) to
see if there is any progression in adjustment scores
1188
2
with the length of time meditating.
METHODS
SAMPLE SELECTION-A random sample was not
available for this study. The International Center for
Scientific Research approved the study and wrote a
letter to the effect that any World Plan Center could
be called upon to obtain the necessary subjects. Attempts were made to obtain subjects who came to the
weekly lectures in Los Angeles, San Diego, and
Sacramento. The majority of people who attended
these lectures were single with a few married people
and even fewer couples. Twenty-eight couples were
tested at lectures. To get a larger sample of couples
who practiced TM, it was necessary to go to residence courses. Twenty-four couples were tested in
Asilomar, in Northern California, and another 20
couples at Murietta Hot Springs, Southern California. On analyzing the historical data from this sample, it was apparent that there were few people who
had meditated a long period of time. The test was
then administered to a group of teachers of TM who
had come from all over the United States to an
advanced training course in South Fallsburg, New
York. Thirty-three couples completed the tests in
New York.
The total sample contained 105 couples and 10
individuals who were married but were not with their
spouses and wished to participate. Sixteen subjects
omitted an answer and their tests were eliminated.
The total sample was 204.
The sample was relatively young, over half of the
subjects did not have children, were well educated,
and worked at professional or semi-professional
levels. These characteristics are the same as those of
the sample used by Locke and Wallace to validate
the test used in their study. About half of the subjects had meditated prior to their marriage and a
large portion were teachers of TM. Tables 1 through
7 show the distribution of the sample.
INSTRUMENTATION-The main test chosen for this
study was the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment
Test (3). It was chosen for its high reliability and
validity and its ease of administration. Marital adjustment tests have contained hundreds of questions
and have required over an hour to complete. This test
with only 15 items can be completed in a few minutes. This test was constructed by selecting items
SUAREZ
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT -PAPER
TABLE 1
TABLE 4
DISTRIBUTION OF SUBJECTS ACCORDING TO
EDUCATIONAL STATUS
DISTRIBUTION OF SUBJECTS AcCORDING TO
NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN THE MARRIAGE
HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED
HUSBANDS
WIVES
CHILDREN
1
9
21
37
24
8
1
20
32
34
0
1
2
11
3
9
4 and over
4
Under four years high school
Completed four years high school
1-3 years of college
4 years of college
MA, MS, MSW
PHD, MD, JD
0
100
Total number
Total 4 years of high school
Total 4 years of college
Total postgraduate degrees
98
29
71
43
165
MARRIAGES
64
8
30
115
Total Number
NOTE: The mean number of children for the entire group is 1.
TABLE 5
NOTE: Mean level of education for the entire group is 3 years of college.
DISTRIBUTION OF SUBJECTS ACCORDING TO
LENGTH OF TIME MARRIED
YEARS MARRIED
TABLE 2
DISTRIHUTION Of SUHJECTS ACCORDING TO
AGES Of THE CHILDREN
A<iES
OF
THE CHILDREN
NUMBER OF MARRIAGES
1-5
64
6-10
25
COUPLES
11-20
7
19
21-30
Over 31
10
A preschooler (with siblings up to 12 years)
Children only ages 5-12
A teenager
A teenager and a preschooler
All children over 20
14
Total Number
52
6
12
9
Total Number
NOTE: The mean length of marriage for the entire group is 9 years.
TABLE 6
DISTRIBUTION OF SUBJECTS ACCORDING TO AGE
HUSBANDS
AGE IN YEARS
TABLE 3
DISTRIBUTION OF SuBJECTs AccoRDING TO TM VARIABLES
TM VARIABLE
Regularity of practice
12-14 meditations per week
12 and under meditations per week
Total Number
Practice of TM before Marriage
No TM before marriage
TM before marriage
Total Number
Length of Time Practicing TM
Under 1 year
1 year
2 years
3 years
4 years
5 years
6 years
7 years and over
Total Number
20-25
26-30
21
33
26
31-35
36-40
15
13
7
HUSBANDS
WIVES
86
-1399
96
6
102
53
46
99
54
48
102
21
9
9
14
14
12
9
18
9
15
22
10
8
TM Teacher
11
Professional
1.1
Semi-Professional Business and Sales
-1199
104"
NOTE: The correlation of one spouse beginning to practice TM before marriage
with the other spouse beginning to practice TM before marriage was .90 for the
entire group. The correlation between length of time one spouse has practiced
TM and length of time other spouse has practiced is .80.
WIVES
33
41-45
5
6
2
46-50
51-60
6
11
9
6
3
102
99
61 and over
Total Number
5
NOTE: The mean age for the entire group is 34.
TABLE 7
DISTRIBUTION OF SUBJECTS ACCORDING TO OcCUPATIONS
HUSBANDS
WIVES
35
23
34
18
9
Skilled, Semi-skilled Clerical
17
7
Student, Housewife, Retired,
Unemployed
Total
11
35
93
100
OCCUPATION
4
1189
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL.
from previous studies that showed the highest level
of discrimination. No items were duplicated in content and only those areas of marital adjustment that
were considered important to the authors were included. The reliability and validity were tested out
on a middle class group of 118 husbands and 118
wives who were not related so that the sample represents 236 marriages. The sample population were all
from Los Angeles, mostly 30 years of age and under,
well educated and a large percent worked at professional or semi-professional levels. Most families
were childless or had only one child. The mean
length of marriage was five years. The reliability
coefficient of the marital adjustment test was . 90
when computed by the split-half technique and corrected by the Spearman-Brown formula. This
showed the test to be highly reliable.
Forty-eight of the subjects were known to have
maladjusted marriages. Seventeen were recently
divorced or separated and the rest were clients of the
American Institute of Family Relations. The maladjusted group was matched for age and sex with 48
subjects from the sample who were known to be
exceptionally well-adjusted in their marriages as
reported by friends who knew them well.
The mean adjustment score for the well-adjusted
group was 135.9, whereas the mean score for the
maladjusted group was only 71.7. This difference
was very significant, for the critical ratio was 17.5
(3, pp. 251-255).
Scores for the maladjusted subjects were under
100 except for 17 percent. In the well-adjusted group
96 percent had scores of 100 or more. The test
therefore clearly is able to distinguish between the
well-adjusted and maladjusted and is a valid instrument.
The second test, an experimental one constructed
by the author, contains nine items along with questions on biographical data and a retrospective evaluation of the effects of TM on their marriage. It was
originally given as a pilot test for this study to see if
marital adjustment scores would increase with the
increase in time that a subject had meditated. The
scores using this mini-test did increase with the
length of time meditating so the current study was
undertaken. Differing from the Locke-Wallace test,
the mini-test contains items on feelings towards the
spouse: love, admiration, and acceptance. Other
questions ask the subject to rate the overall happiness
in the marriage, unity, harmony, intimacy, and the
1190
2
degree to which their emotional needs are met. Items
were chosen to assess overall satisfaction with the
marriage. No items were duplicated and the scoring
was not weighted. Each item received equal importance.
The mini-test did not specifically duplicate any of
the marital adjustment test questions. The question
on happiness on the Locke-Wallace test asked the
respondents to evaluate their marriage compared to
other marriages. The mini-test does not ask for this
comparison but merely to rate the marriage as to its
degree of happiness. There is some overlap in content in the items on unity, harmony, and intimacy.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE-The experimental
procedure was to take a valid and reliable marital
adjustment test and administer it to couples who had
practiced the TM technique for various lengths of
time. The means of these tests were compared to see
if there is a change in marital adjustment scores that
corresponds to the length of time that a person has
meditated. Basic historical data was analyzed to assess its relationship to these changes. Subjective
ratings of individual items such as love and acceptance were also analyzed to see if there was a change
in the means with the length of time practicing TM.
In addition, open-ended questions asking respondents to make remarks on what changes, if any,
had occurred in their marital happiness since beginning TM, were included.
An experimental mini-test of marital satisfaction
was administered simultaneously. The validity of
the shorter test was assessed by comparing it to the
marital adjustment test.
The subjects were divided into three groups.
Group I contained 58 who had meditated from 1
month to 1 year and 11 months with a mean of 7.5
months. Group II contained 59 subjects who had
meditated from 2 years to 3 years and 11 months
with a mean of 3.5 years. Group III contained 87
subjects who had meditated 4 years to 8 years with
a mean of 5.5 years.
THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS-All subjects
with the exception of five to ten who took the test
when they came into the meditation center for
checking were presented with an introduction prior
to the administration of the test. The introduction
consisted of telling the participants that this was an
experimental evaluation of the effects of TM on the
SUAREZ
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT -PAPER
marital relationship. They were informed that this
was part of a Master's Thesis at USC. They were told
that the tests would take only a few minutes to complete, that there was nothing objectionable on
them, and that they were to be completed anonymously. The participants were encouraged to
answer honestly as there were no right or wrong
answers. Spouses were asked to fill out their tests
independently and to complete each item. All
couples present were asked to participate to make
the study more valid. Matching numbered tests were
then distributed to the couples. All tests except approximately five were completed at that time and
returned to the person administering the test. The
others took the tests to their spouses at home and
mailed them back. About 75 to 80 percent of the
couples present participated.
The tests were administered by four different
people who were given similar written instructions
but may have differed slightly in their presentation.
Except for the subjects who took the tests at the
advanced lectures and checking sessions, the groups
had been together prior to the testing for varying
lengths of time. At Murietta Hot Springs the group
had been together in residence from one evening
until noontime the next day. At Asilomar the group
. had been in residence for about 5 days prior to the
testing, and at South Fallsburg the group had been in
residence together for about six weeks prior to the
testing. The effect of the group being together and
the couples being together prior to the testing is not
known. All tests which were not administered by the
author were returned promptly by mail. The sample
was collected between December 1975 and May
1976.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
HYPOTHESES STATED IN NULL-FORM-
I. There is no relationship between the length of
time a subject is practicing TM and his scores on
the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction,
the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test,
and his ratings of individual items on these tests.
2. There is no relationship between the length of
time a subject's spouse has been practicing TM
and the subject's scores on the Suarez Mini-Test
of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace
Marital Adjustment Test, and the subject's
ratings of individual items on these tests.
3. There is no relationship between the regularity
of a subject's practice of TM and his scores on
11.
12.
13.
165
the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction,
the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test,
and his ratings of individual items on these tests.
There is no relationship between the subject
practicing TM before marriage and his scores on
the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction,
the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test,
and individual items on these tests.
There is no relationship between the spouse
practicing TM before marriage and the subject's
scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment
Test, and individual items on these tests.
There is no relationship between the age of the
subject and his scores on the Suarez Mini-Test
of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace
Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items
on these tests.
There is no relationship between level of education and a subject's scores on the Suarez
Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the LockeWallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests.
There is no relationship between level of occupation and a subject's scores on the Suarez
Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the LockeWallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests.
There is no relationship between the length of
the marriage and a subject's scores on the
Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the
Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and
individual items on these tests.
There is no relationship between the number of
children and a subject's scores on the Suarez
Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the LockeWallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests.
There is no relationship between the ages of the
children and scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of
Marital Satisfaction, the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on
these tests.
There is no difference between husbands' and
wives' scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace Marital
Adjustment Test, and individual items on these
tests.
There will be no correlation between scores on
the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction
1191
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL.
and the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment
Test.
14. Husbands and wives will not find retrospectively that TM has had any influence in their marriages.
METHODOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS-The basic methodological assumptions are: that the tests were filled
out independently and anonymously; that the data
was properly collected, stored, recorded, and analyzed; tests that did not have complete answers were
not included.
ANALYSIS OF DATA-Means, standard deviations,
and correlations were computer analyzed.
The historical data on the correlation charts were
analyzed using each year as a separate category. For
example, the ages were not grouped but scored by
the actual age. The length of the marriage was not
grouped but scored by actual years. The length of
time a subject or spouse had practiced TM was
scored by using actual years, plus 1. The ages of the
children were grouped to show the presence of a preschooler, or a teenager, children in between, or over
20. Occupation was scored by using nine categories:
using a teacher of TM as 1; a professional as 2; semiprofessional, business, or sales as 3; the list continues ending with unemployed as 10. A yes was 1
and a no, 2. A was 1, B was 2, C was 3.
In addition, the entire group was divided up based
on the length of time that a subject had practiced
TM. Significant differences were calculated between the short-term meditators and the long-term
meditators.
Data was analyzed both inter-group and intragroup.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY-There are several
limitations to the study. One of the most critical
limitations is that there was not a random sample of
meditating couples. The sample was taken from
people who attended residence courses and lectures
together. The fact that they attended together may
have made them different. It is possible that it
may have selected out happier couples. Twenty-four
subjects scored below 100 and nine scored below 80,
tending to show that the study did not necessarily
select out happier couples. In fact, couples may have
been there partly out of a desire to improve their
relationships.
1192
2
The study was not longitudinal. Changes over
time were inferred by comparing differing groups
rather than comparing the actual changes within
specific individuals. Subjects who began TM many
years ago, before there was any scientific research,
may be quite different from those who have begun
more recently. Subjects did, however, retrospectively evaluate the effects of TM on their
marriages.
Another limitation of the study is that the sample
is not representative of the population as a whole.
As in other marital adjustment studies, the respondents were more educated, had higher levels of
occupations, and were younger than would be a
typical cross section of all married couples. As with
other studies, over half the couples did not have
children.
No outside sources of information were used to
validate the respondents' subjective evaluations of
their marriages.
The study was one of couples only. The effect on
the marriage with only one partner practicing TM
was not explored.
The Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction was
experimental. The questions were worded in a way
that may have elicited socially desirable answers. In
scoring the test, all items were equally weighted,
which may or may not have indicated their importance in the marriage. All the scored items on the
test correlated fairly high with each other, with the
total mini-test score, and with the total score of the
marital adjustment test.
Although the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment
Test was shown to be valid on subjects with similar
historical characteristics, it may not be as valid for
people who have practiced TM for a few years, or
perhaps the subjects are more individualistic. The
items chosen for this test were those which had correlated most highly with adjustment scores in other
groups. In the group of long-term meditators, 8 of
the 15 questions correlated with the total score
below .46. Three had a correlation below .24. (See
tables 8 and 9 for all the intercorrelations of both
tests with each other, for groups I and III.)
The sample was divided into three groups representing progressively longer periods of time that the
subjects had meditated. The middle group (meditating from 2 to 4 years) and the entire sample group
had extremely high standard deviations on the total
SUAREZ
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT-PAPER
165
TABLE 8
GROUP I CORRELATION MATRIX
(SHORT-TERM MEDITATORS)
LOCKE-WALLACE TEST ITEMS
MINI-TEST ITEMS
I7- TOTAL
13
14
15
16
1.00
0_72
0.75
O.S4
O.IS
0.74
1.00
0.81
0.67
0.09
0.89
1.00
0.61
0.06
0.87
1.00
0.06
0.73
0.62
0.49
0.4S
0.38
0.47
0.2S
0.27
0.43
0.09
0.44
0.30
0.23
0.65
0.65
0.4K
0.75
0.68
O.S I
0.46
O.S4
O.S8
0.16
0.26
0.41
0.10
0.33
0.15
0.11
0.67
0.68
0.31
0.77
0.66
0.45
0.4S
O.SO
0.46
0.07
0.3 I
0.36
O_JS
0.41
0.16
0.14
0_61
0.6S
0.34
0.75
0.63
0.24
0.69
0.29 -0.01
0.44
0.39 0.18
0.40
0.39
0.22
O.SO
0.30
0.12
0.46
0.17
0.12 -0.09
0.06
0.01
0.18
0.42
0.43
0.42
0.07 -0.08 0.04
0.40
0.22
0.39
0.29
0.32
0.21
0.22
O.IK
0.34
0.60
0.49
0.35
0.58
0.08
0.67
Q_2S
0.06 0.34
0.60 0.27
0.74
10
11
12
13
14
15
TOTAL
Mini-te!lilems
9. Accept
10. Admire
II. Love
12. Happy
13_ Unity
14. Needs mel
15. Harmony
16. Intimacy
17. Growthl. .bility
Total
1.00
0.83
0.62
0.76
0.66
0_78
0.76
0.68
0.0
0.90
1.00
0_62
0.72
0.67
0.81
0.72
O.S9
0.2
0.8S
1.00
0.8S
O.S8
0.74
0.63
0.66
0.03
0.7S
0.63
0.62
0.54
0.,2
0.36
0.29
0.44
0.36
0.48
0.46
0.04 -0.01
0.30
0.22
0.33
0.45
0.20 O.o7
0.17
0.43
0.11>
0.23
0.12 o.n
11_57 II. Sf>
0.64
O.f>O
0.41
0.41
0.73
0.70
O.S4
0.43
0.43
0.36
0.3S
0.26
O.OS
0.2K
0.08
O.OK
0.19
0.15
0.45
0.1>1
0.08
<UK
1.00
0_72
0.88
0.83
0.69
0.17
0.90
1.00
0.08
1.00
Locke- Wallace Items
Happy
Finances
3.
Rec~ation
4 Arrection
S. Friend>
Se1 rct.lions
Conduct
Philo""PhY
In-Laws
10 Problem
II
12
J.l
14.
IS
rc~ulullun
Outside inlerellls
Same lei•ure
No reg~•
Would remarry
Confide
Total
0.6S
0.48
0.46
0.46
0.46
0.14
O.IS
0.3K
0.01
0.27
0.24
O.lf>
0.64
0.72
0.24
0.73
1.00
0.3S
1.00
0.48
0.3S
0.38
0.36
O.SI
0.61
0.17
0.36
0.24
0.48
0.54
0.20
0.02
0.23
0.40 -0.01
0.32 -0.11
0.30 -O.o7
1.00
0.4S
1.00
0.54
0.54
0.43
0.32
0.28
0.4S
0.37 0.2S
0.17 0.3S
0.21
O.IS
0.16 -0.00
O.IS
0.06
1.00
0.3S
1.00
0.49 0.43
1.00
0.37
0.13 0.08
1.00
0_30 0.44 0.62 -0.15
1.00
0.23 -0.11 -o.os O.S3 -0.10 1.00
0.00 -0.17 -0.40 0.67 -0.43 0.54
0.06 -0.11 -0.31
0.62 -0.4S 0.54
1.00
0.82
0_67
O.S8
0.42
0.8S
0.62
0.61
0.30
0.66
O.S2
0.44
0.3S
0.69
0.29
0.20
0.21
0.21
0.41
O.S3
0.30
O.S8
0.48
0.38
0.14
O.S9
0.3S
0.22
0.08
0.36
0.3S
0.16
0.29
O.SO
0.60
0.40
0.37
O.S7
0.06
O.IS
0.23
0.26
0.40
0.29
0.41
0.44
1.00
0.30
1.00
0.12
0.08
0.24
0.60
0.37
0.83
1.00
O.SI
0.76
1.00
O.S8
1.00
12
13
14
IS
TOTAL
1.00
0.01
0.08
0.08
0.22
1.00
0.41
0.33
0.64
1.00
0.59
0.66
1.00
0.54
1.00
TABLE 9
GROUP III CORRELATION MATRIX
(LoNG-TERM MEDITATORS)
LOCKE-WALLACE TEST ITEMS
MINI· TEST ITEMS
10
II
12
13
1.00
0.50
0.46
0.57
0.55
0.47
0.44
0.21
0.66
1.00
0.58
0.40
0.49
0.47
0.37
0.14
0.56
1.00
0.68
0.66
0.63
0.65
0.23
0.6S
1.00
0.68
0. 74
0.72
0.28
0.72
14
IS
16
17
TOTAL
1.00
0.74
0.21
0.76
1.00
0.21
0.71
1.00
0.17
1.00
10
II
Mini-te!l items
9. Accept
10. Admire
II. Love
12. Happy
13. Unity
14. Needs mel
IS. Harmony
16. Intimacy
17. Growthl. .bility
Total
1.00
0.51
0.55
o.so
0.41
0.47
0.35
0.30
0.21
0.47
1.00
6. 70
0.65
0.22
0.84
Locke-Wallocelleml
I. Happy
2.
3.
4.
S.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
II.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Finances
Recrealioo
Affection
Friends
0.52
0.3S
0.14
0.22
0.17
Sex relations
Conduct
Philosophy
In-Laws
Problem resololion
Outside interests
Same leisure
No re~s
Would remany
Confide
Total
0.18
0.23
0.2S
0.16
0.2S
0.01
0.06
0.50
0.31
0.22
0.47
0.58
0.10
0.16
0.15
0.20
0.27
0.31
0.54
0.22
0.29
0.09
0.03
0.41
0.64
0.38
O.S9
0.50
0.14
om
0.16
0.26
0.28
0.24
0.26
0.11
0.26
0.04
o.09
o.46
0.2S
0.12
0.49
0.61
0.69 0.58 0.64
0.64
0.34
0.62
0.19 0.18
0.12 0.21
0.18
0.13
0.17
0.09
o.o1
o.08
0.10 0.13
o.oJ
om
0.32 0.31
0.39 0.35
0.39
0.18
0.34
0.36 0.29
0.19 0.29 0.26
0.22
0.19
0.20 0.23
0.26
0.21
0.22
0.15
0.21
0.24
0.20 0.33
0.34
0.31
0.04
0.43
0.30
0.54 0.42 0.45
0.52
0.15
0.48
0.12
0.18
0.12 0.22
0.21
0.13
0.11
0.48
0.49 0.48
0.48
0.62
0.13
0.39
0.34
0.40
0.32 0.42 0.39
0.19
0.30
-0.02 -om -o.oJ -0.08 -0.08 -0.06 -o.o5
o.s3
0.45
0.46 o.43
o.43
om
0.46
0.37
0.28
0.53
0.16 0.40
0.40 O.S3
0.32 0.39 0.40 0.28
0.47
0.13
0.29
0.63
0.67 0.64 0.61
0.64
0.27
0.61
1.00
0.39
0.27
0.25
o.29
1.00
0.26
0.28
om
1.00
0.16
o.25
1.00
o.l6
1.00
0.33
0.12 0.15
0.60
0.09
1.00
0.32
0.3S
0.15
0.35
0.14
0.24
1.00
0.48 0.35
O.QJ
0.11
0.22
0.11
0.26
0.41
0.23
0.21
0.21
0.4S
0.29 0.30
0.46 0.25
0.14 0.31
0.12
0.30 0.22
0.29 -0.01
0.08 0.08
0.24 -O.IS -0.01
O.oJ
0.21
0.12 -0.06 -O.QJ 0.06 -0.08
o.so o.35 -o.os o.I5
o.l6 0.12 o.25
0.48
0.21
0.16 0.09 0.13
0.22 0.2S
0.46 0.28
0.23
0.21 -0.00 0.30 0.10
0.81
0.46
0.24 0.43
0.31
0.53
0.41
1.00
0.21 . 1.00
0.39 0.06
0.10 0.11
0.03 -0.08
0.36 0.17
O.S3
0.17
0.54 0.13
0.55
0.39
1.00
0.15
1.00
0.00 -0.15
0.42
0.26
0.51
0.04
0.53
0.00
0.64 0.21
1193
2
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME, VOL.
TABLE 10
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS I AND III ON HISTORICAL DATA
GROUP I (N =58)
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN
MEANS
41.08
1.46
4.86
16.6
1.41
1.31
13.1
1.93
1.89
1.48
15.78
0.49
2.58
14.37
1.41
0.46
2.4
0.25
0.30
1.0
30.54
1.43
5.29
6.01
0.87
6.54
13.88
1.32
1.35
5.95
7.49
0.49
2.08
7.07
1.45
1.25
0.70
0.46
0.47
1.61
-10.63
-0.03
0.43
-10.59
-0.54
5.23
0.78
-0.61
-0.54
4.47
GRODP III (N = 87)
HISTORICAL DATA
Age
Sex
Education
Years married
Number of children
How long practicing TM
Weekly meditation
TM practiced before marriage
Spouse practiced TM before marriage
Spouse's length of TM practiced
SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL
0.05
NS
NS
0.05
NS
0.01
0.01
NS
0.01 *
0.01
• More spouses practiced TM before marriage in Group III.
NOTE: Group I TM up to I year II months; Group III TM 4 years and over.
test scores of the Locke- Wallace test and no individual items correlated over .27 with the total LockeWall ace test scores.
The occupational level may not have been scored
in such a way that its true significance would be
shown. Income level was not included and may have
been a significant factor.
The main results reported in this study are those
of Group I (people who had meditated from 1 month
to 1 year and 11 months with a mean of 7.5 months)
compared to Group III (people who had meditated 4
years or more with a mean of 5. 5 years). These
groups had moderate standard deviations on most
items and many showed correlations that could be
anticipated based on prior research. Group I differed
from Group III in that the average age was 10 years
older, and the average length of marriage was 10
years longer. Group III contained 54 percent
teachers of TM. (See table 10 for the group differences on historical data.)
tators with a mean of 7. 5 months of meditation, had
a mean score that fell in the lower level of welladjusted. Group II, with a mean of 3.5 years, and
Group III, with a mean of 5. 5 years, had mean
scores in the middle range of well-adjusted. The differences between Groups I and III are significant at
the .05 level.
On the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction,
the increase in scores for the longer-term meditators
fell just short of statistical significance. It was an
experimental test and weighting of the answers may
have produced different results. (See table 11 for the
differences in the groups on these two tests.)
There were statistically significant differences
between the two groups on many of the individual
test items (tables 12 and 13). Group III, the longerterm meditators, were higher at the .05 level on the
following items of the mini-test: accepting spouse,
admiring spouse, rating of their marital happiness,
ratings of harmony and intimacy. On the LockeWallace test, Group Ill, the longer-term meditators
RESULTS
TABLE 11
The results of the study were as follows:
HYPOTHESIS 1 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the length of time a subject is practicing TM and his scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of
Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace Marital
Adjustment Test, and his ratings of individual items
on these tests. Hypothesis rejected.
The following are the results of the LockeWallace Test: The sample population was divided
into three groups. Group I, the short-term medi-
1194
COMPARISONS OF THE GROUPS ON MARITAL ADJUSTMENT
AND SATISFACTION TEST SCORES
GROUP
Entire Group
Group I (Short-term TM)
Group II (2-4 years TM)
Group III
LOCKE-WALLACE
TEST OF MARITAL
ADJUSTMENT
MINI-TEST OF
MARITAL
SATISFACTION
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
125.9
115.5
137.0
125.3
61.0
26.3
107.0
18.4
49
47
50
50
7
9
5
7
NoTE: Group II had 39 percent TM teachers; Group III had 54 percent TM
teachers.
SUAREZ
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT -PAPER
165
TABLE 12
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS I AND III ON THE MINI-TEST
GROUP III (N =
GROUP I (N = 58)
87)
MINI-TEST ITEMS
Accept spouse
Admire spouse
Love spouse
Happy
Unity with mate
Emotional needs met
Harmony in marriage
Intimacy in marriage
Growth vs stability
Overall score
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
5.77
6.17
6.39
6.03
5.87
5.81
5.60
5.62
1.53
47.0
1.18
1.03
1.18
1.35
1.24
1.35
1.33
1.18
0.72
8.97
6.21
6.49
6.67
6.44
6.04
6.05
6.12
6.11
1.44
49.7
0.74
0.74
0.55
0.86
1.0
1.11
1.0
1.11
0.70
7.34
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN
MEANS
0.44
0.32
0.28
0.41
0.17
0.24
0.52
0.49
-0.09
2.7
SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL
0.05
0.05
NS
0.05
NS
NS
0.05
0.05
NS
NS
NoTE: Group I TM up to I year II months; Group Ill TM 4 years and over.
TABLE 13
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS I AND III ON THE LOCKE-WALLACE TEST
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN
MEANS
21.31
7.99
24.94
6.26
3.63
0.01
3.87
3.56
5.65
3.68
11.24
3.82
4.08
4.05
9.31
0.92
0.94
1.61
0.91
5.62
0.94
0.89
1.07
3.01
4.10
3.87
5.70
3.97
11.36
4.03
4.26
4.13
9.01
0.74
0.72
1.50
0.87
3.22
0.68
0.91
0.71
2.74
0.23
0.31
0.05
0.29
0.12
0.21
0.18
0.08
-0.30
NS
0.05
NS
NS
NS
0.01
NS
NS
NS
Share in outside interests
8.41
5.98
8.64
1.29
0.23
Leisure time together
Wish you had not married
7.0
9.6
7.05
5.03
6.12
11.13
3.80
4.68
-0.88
1.53
Would still marry spouse
12.58
5.28
13.7
4.0
1.12
NS
9.58
1.77
1.45
0.14
NS
115.50
26.34
18.37
9.8
0.05
GROUP I (N = 5!!)
GROUP
Ill
(N = !!7)
LOCKE-WALLACE TFXJ' ITEMS
Degree of happiness
Agreement on:
handling family finances
,matters of recreation
demonstrations of affection
friends
sex relations
conduct
philosophy of life
dealings with in-laws
results of disagreements
Confiding in mate
Total
9.72
125.3
SIGNIFICANCE
LEVEL
NS
NS
0.05
NOTE: Group I TM up to 1 year 11 months; Group III TM 4 years and over.
were higher at the .01 level on degree of happiness
of the couple compared to others, and agreement on
conduct and conventionality. They were higher at
the .05 level for agreement on recreation, and had
fewer wishes that they had not married. They were
not significantly lower on any items.
HYPOTHESIS 2 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the length of time a subject's spouse
has been practicing TM and the subject's scores on
the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the
Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests. Spouses both meditate
about the same length of time; no judgment is possible.
In Group III, which had higher scores, more of
the spouses meditated for a longer period of time,
significant beyond the .01 level. In an intra-group
analysis, all correlations were too small to be of significance. Spouses tended to meditate about the
same length of time, .80 correlation for the entire
group.
HYPOTHESIS 3 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the regularity of a subject's practice of
TM and his scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and his ratings of individual items on
these tests. The entire group is too regular in practice to make a definitive judgment.
1195
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME,
In Group Ill, which had meditated longer and had
higher ratings on the individual items, all the subjects were regular meditators except one or two. In
the intra-group analysis of Group III, the importance
of regularity could not be shown. In Group I, the
regularity was high, also, but contained a few nonregular meditators. The correlation with the LockeWallace total score is .42 and with the mini-test only
.22. There were no significant correlations with any
test items. The entire sample was very high on regularity of practice.
HYPOTHESIS 4 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the subject practicing TM before marriage and the subject's scores on the Suarez MiniTest of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace
Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on
these tests.
In the entire sample there was a . 90 correlation
between one spouse beginning TM before marriage
and the other spouse beginning TM before marriage.
In the intra-group analysis all correlations were too
small to be of significance.
HYPOTHESIS 5 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the spouse practicing TM before marriage and the subject's scores on the Suarez MiniTest of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke-Wallace
Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on
these tests.
Group III had significantly more spouses who
practiced TM before marriage at the .01 level. This
group had higher scores on the tests, but it is difficult to assess the importance of this finding. All
inter-group and intra-group correlations are small.
HYPOTHESIS 6 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the age of a subject and a subject's
scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test,
and individual items on these tests.
Group I, which had slightly lower scores on all of
the above was older, significant at the . 05 level. In
the intra-group analysis, age had a slightly positive
relationship to higher scores on the Locke- Wallace
.37, and slightly positive correlation with the minitest. Group Ill, which was younger, had a slightly
negative correlation between age and total test
scores. There were several slightly negative correlations between age and the test items. (See table 14
1196
VOL.
2
TABLE 14
HISTORICAL DATA CORRELATED WITH THE
LOCKE-WALLACE TOTAL SCORE AND THE MINI-TEST SCORE
HISTORICAL ITEMS
LOCKE-WALLACE
TOTAL SCORE
MINI-TEST
TOTAL SCORE
Group I Group lll
Group I Group lll
0.37
Age of subject
Sex of subject
0.10
-0.09
Level of occupation
Level of equcation
0.03
0.21
Years married
Ages of children
0.18
0.04
Number of children
-0.04
Years practicing TM
0.42
Frequency of TM
TM prior to marriage
0.07
Spouse TM prior to marriage-0.18
Years spouse practice TM -0.11
Previous marriage while
0.0
practicing TM
14. Happier since starting TM 0.2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
II.
12.
13.
-0.22
0.16
0.10
0.03
-0.23
-0.24
-0.06
0.10
0.02
0.15
0.22
0.09
0.25
-0.02
0.03
0.18
0.02
0.02
-0.22
-0.04
0.22
0.09
0.17
-0.16
-0.15
0.10
0.03
-0.06
-0.17
0.10
0.01
0.03
0.09
-0.10
0.09
-0.06
-0.12
0.19
0.0
0.33
-0.11
0.09
NOTE: Group I (N =58) TM under 2 years;
Group Ill (N = 87) TM 4 years and over.
for the correlations between total test scores and the
historical data.)
HYPOTHESIS 7 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between level of education and a subject's
scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test,
and individual items on these tests.
There were no significant differences in level of
education between Groups I and III. In an intragroup analysis, the correlation between level of education and total test scores was not significant. There
was no high correlation between level of education
and any test items. The level of education for the
entire group was high with a mean of about three
years of college.
HYPOTHESIS 8 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between level of occupation and a subject's
scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test,
and individual items on these tests.
There were no high correlations. The entire group
had a high occupational level.
HYPOTHESIS 9 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the length of the marriage and a subject's scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital
SUAREZ
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: MARITAL SATISFACTION AND ADJUSTMENT -PAPER
Satisfaction, the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests.
Group Ill, which had higher scores on the tests,
had shorter marriages, significant at the .05 level.
An intra-group analysis shows that in Group I there
was a slight positive relationship between being
married longer and adjustment scores . 21, and in
Group III there was a slightly negative relationship
between being married longer and adjustment scores
.23. This tends to reduce the importance of age.
Many individual items showed a slightly negative
relationship to length of marriage.
HYPOTHESIS 10 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the number of children and a subject's scores on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital
Satisfaction, the Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests.
There were no statistically significant differences
between the groups as to the number of children.
Intra-group analysis shows some minor negative
correlations with total test scores. There were many
slightly negative correlations with individual test
items.
HYPOTHESIS 11 IN NULL-FORM-There is no relationship between the ages of the children and scores
on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the
Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests.
There were no significant differences between
ages of the children in the two groups. Group III
showed a slightly negative correlation between age
of the children and marital adjustment scores. They
tended to have preschool children, over half had no
children at all. No conclusions can be drawn from
this.
HYPOTHESIS 12 IN NULL-FORM-There is no difference between husbands' and wives' scores on the
Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, the
Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and individual items on these tests.
There are no significant differences between the
two. (See table 14 for all the historical correlations
with total test scores, and tables 15 and 16 for the
individual test items correlated with the total test
scores.)
HYPOTHESIS
13
IN NULL-FORM-There will be no
165
TABLE 15
MINI-TEST ITEMS CORRELATED WITH THE TOTAL SCORE ON THE
LOCKE-WALLACE TEST AND THE TOTAL SCORE ON THE MiNI-TEST
HISTORICAL ITEMS
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Accept spouse
Admire spouse
Love spouse
Happy marriage
Unity
Emotional needs met
Harmony
Intimacy
Growth vs stability
Mini-test score
LOCKE-WALLACE
TOTAL SCORE
MINI-TEST
TOTAL SCORE
Group I Group III
Group I Group III
0.73
0.70
0.58
0.73
0.75
0.77
0.75
0.60
0.27
0.74
0.47
0.59
0.49
0.63
0.67
0.64
0.61
0.64
0.27
0.61
0.90
0.85
0.75
0.90
0.74
0.89
0.87
0.73
0.08
1.0
0.47
0.66
0.56
0.65
0.72
0.84
0.76
0.71
0.17
1.0
NOTE: Group I (N =58) TM under 2 years;
Group III (N = 87) TM 4 years and over.
correlation between the scores on the Suarez MiniTest of Marital Satisfaction and the Locke- Wallace
Marital Adjustment Test. Hypothesis rejected.
The correlation for Group I was . 74. The correlation for Group III was .61. (See tables 8 and 9 for
the correlations between all of the test items.) Items
on the mini-test correlated more highly with the
Locke-Wall ace total score than the Locke-Wall ace
test items.
HYPOTHESIS 14 IN NULL-FORM-Husbands and
wives will not find retrospectively that TM has had
any influence in their marriage. Hypothesis rejected.
Although marital adjustment research has shown
that happiness in marriage and the opinion one holds
of one's spouse usually declines with the length of a
marriage, the subjective assessment of spouses
practicing TM is that their marriages are happier and
they express greater tolerance, appreciation, and
love of their spouses. Research has also shown that
the problems in a marriage do not decrease with time
and that hostility was very negatively related to
marital happiness. The subjects in this study responded that since beginning TM they experienced
a decrease in tension in the marriage, with problems
being resolved more quickly and with a greater appreciation for the needs of one's spouse, and with
greater tolerance and acceptance for one's spouse.
Studies have also shown that stimulating common
activity declines early in a marriage with no recovery. Some respondents have reported that they
found TM to be personally fulfilling and that it was a
1197
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAMME,
VOL.
2
TABLE 16
LocKE-WALLACE TEST ITEMS CORRELATED WITH TOTAL SCORES ON THE LOCKE-WALLACE TEST AND THE TOTAL SCORE ON THE MINI-TEST
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
II.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Happiness
Agreement on finances
Agreement on recreation
Agreement on affection
Agreement on friends
Agreement on sex
Agreement on conventionality
Agreement on philosophy
Agreement on handling in-laws
Problem resolution
Outside interests
Leisure time
Rarely regret marriage
Would still marry spouse
Confide in mate
Total score
NoTE: Group I (N =58) TM under 2 years; Group III
(N
Group I
Group III
Group I
Group lli
0.85
0.58
0.66
0.59
0.69
0.36
0.50
0.57
0.26
0.44
0.21
0.24
0.83
0.76
0.58
1.0
0.81
0.46
0.24
0.43
0.31
0.53
0.41
0.55
0.39
0.64
0.21
0.22
0.64
0.66
0.54
1.0
0.69
0.44
0.40
0.50
0.46
0.09
0.18
0.42
0.04
0.40
0.29
0.22
0.60
0.69
0.34
0.74
0.62
0.17
0.07
0.34
0.19
0.21
0.43
0.48
0.11
0.39
0.30
0.05
0.46
0.40
0.29
0.61
= 87) TM 4 years and over.
new good experience to share with their spouse.
Negative personality characteristics have been
shown to be detrimental to a marital relationship.
Respondents reported that they are less tense, more
stable, and happier. These results are subjective,
retrospective reports without secondary sources of
information as corroborating evidence. However,
the changes reported fit very well with the longitudinal personality studies done on practitioners of the
TM technique.
CONCLUSION
This study was conducted to assess the effects of
the Transcendental Meditation practice on the marital relationship. One hundred and five couples and
ten individuals took the tests. Sixteen tests were
incomplete and deleted for a total of 204 subjects.
Subjects were drawn from advanced lectures and
residence courses. Approximately 80 percent of
those present participated. The sample was young,
mean age of 34; well educated with a mean of three
years of college; and a mean of nine years of marriage. Over half the subjects did not have children.
Almost all subjects were regular meditators. The
entire sample was tested one time on the valid and
reliable Locke- Wallace Marital Adjustment Test,
1198
MINI-TEST
TOTAL SCORE
LOCKE-WALLACE
TOTAL SCORE
HISTORICAL ITEMS
the short form, and on the Suarez Mini-Test of Marital Satisfaction, an experimental test. The mean for
the entire sample on these tests was in the welladjusted range. The sample was divided into three
sub-groups. Group I (N =58), which contained the
shortest term meditators (a range of 1 month to 1 year
and 11 months practice, with a mean of7.5 months),
was compared to Group III (N = 87), who had meditated 4 years to 8 years, with a mean of 5.5 years.
The groups differed in that Group I, the short-term
meditators, was significantly (.05) older and had
longer marriages. The longer-term meditators had
statistically higher score~ on the Locke- Wallace test
at the .05 total test scores, but fell short of statistical
significance on the Suarez Mini-Test. The longerterm meditators scored higher at the . 05 level on the
following items: accepting spouse, admiring spouse,
ratings of their marital happiness, ratings of harmony
and intimacy, agreement on recreation and fewer
wishes that they had not married. They were higher
at the .01level on degree of happiness of the couple
compared to others; and agreement on conduct and
conventionality. They were not significantly lower
on any items.
The experimental mini-test correlated .61 with
the Locke- Wallace test for the long-term meditators
and . 75 for the short-term meditators. Individual
items on the mini-test correlated very highly with
HATCHARD
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE: CRIME RATE IN SUBURBAN CLEVELAND
each other and with both total test scores. The
·Locke-Wallace test had few high correlations with
its own score. This leads to the speculation that the
test may not be as valid for this group as for other
groups or that the subjects in this sample were more
individualistic than other subjects. Unlike other
studies, none of the historical data correlated with
the test scores with any significance and women did
not score higher than men. Like other studies admiration and acceptance of one's spouse, unity of
values, intimacy, capacity to resolve problems, and
meet emotional needs, correlate highly with adjustment scores.
The conclusions of this study are that respondents
found their marriages to be happier as a result of the
TM practice. They attributed their increased happiness to the fact that they were growing as individuals and that they were more relaxed, loving, and
accepting. The high preponderance of positive
answers makes it probable that other marriages
might also benefit from the practice.
-PAPER
166
The recommendations of the author, based on this
study, is that more studies be done to assess the
effect of TM on distressed marriages, longitudinal
studies be done to measure the before- and aftereffect of TM on a marriage, and that new marital
adjustment scales be developed to better assess the
relationships of self-actualizing people.
REFERENCES
1. ARON, E. N., and ARON, A. 1974. Transcendental
Meditation and marital adjustment. Unpublished research
report, Maharishi International University, Department of
Psychology, Fairfield, Iowa.
2. BURGESS, E. W.; LOCKE, H. J.; and THOMAS, M. M.
1971. The family. 4th ed. New York: Van Nostrand
Reinhold Company, p. 325.
3. LOCKE, H. J., and WALLACE, K. M. 1959. Short
marital adjustment and prediction tests: Their reliability
and validity. Journal of Marriage and Family Living 21:
251-255.
4. MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI. 1966. The Science of
Being and Art of Living. Los Angeles: International SRM
Publications.