testing a predictive model of marital commitment based on cognitive emotion regulation and psychological flexibility among married female teachers in bandar abbas, iran

Introduction: marital commitment is a cornerstone of family stability and individual well-being, yet it remains vulnerable to the pervasive stresses of modern life, particularly among working women who navigate multiple professional and domestic roles. this study aimed to test a predictive model of marital commitment based on cognitive emotion regulation and psychological flexibility, with the mediating role of sexual self-efficacy and sexual intimacy, among married female teachers. methods: overall, 300 married female teachers selected from the secondary schools of district 2, bandar abbas, using cluster sampling were included in this descriptive-correlational study. data were collected using the marital commitment questionnaire, the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire, the psychological flexibility inventory, the sexual self-efficacy questionnaire, and a standardized sexual intimacy questionnaire and finally analyzed by structural equation modeling using spss 27 and smart pls-4. results: the analysis results of the path coefficients of the structural equation model indicated that the model had a good fit. the direct path coefficients from cognitive emotion regulation and psychological flexibility to marital commitment, sexual self-efficacy, and sexual intimacy were statistically significant. the results further revealed that the indirect paths from cognitive emotion regulation and psychological flexibility to marital commitment, mediated by sexual self-efficacy and sexual intimacy, were substantially significant and had meaningful indirect relationships with marital commitment. conclusion: our findings confirmed that cognitive emotion regulation and psychological flexibility directly predict marital commitment, sexual self-efficacy, and sexual intimacy, exerting a significant indirect influence on marital commitment through the mediating roles of sexual self-efficacy and sexual intimacy. this issue underscores the importance of these psychological and relational factors in understanding and potentially enhancing marital commitment among the studied population.