Break Free: Personalities of People Seeking Annulment of Marriage in the Philippines

Abstract

This study explored on the different personality profiles of couples who sought annulment of marriage in the Philippines. It used quantitative and qualitative methods to see the commonalities among their personalities and eventually to identify the predictors that may eventually lead to annulment. This study was divided into two Phases. Phase I (descriptive and inferential statistics) included 140 participants, whose cases were handled by one clinical psychologist and were approved in court; while Phase II (phenomenology) included five experts and participants of annulment such as the petitioners, respondents, and lawyers. Findings in the study paved way to the analysis that annulment of marriage is a result of the interplay between the identified predictors and marital episodes. This interplay has been categorized into three factors: wrong reasons of marriage, egocentric motives, and psychological incapability to maintain healthy relationships. The results yielded can be further used and enhanced for future studies to be utilized in marriage counseling and in courts.