Experts Consensus on the Items of Sender in Communication of Malaysian Polygamous Muslim Couples Using the Delphi Fuzzy Method

A sender plays an important role in family communication especially among polygamous couples. An ineffective sender who conveys a message may cause misunderstanding, confusion and disappointment. This matter if left to persist may bring worse problems such as divorce, fights and abuses. Therefore, this article presents the consensus of experts on items categorized as sender element in the psychology of communication for co-wives in polygamous marriage in managing marital or household conflict according to the Islamic perspective. This is an important fact to produce the reliable and creative exploration of ideas of suitable information for decision making especially to polygamous Muslim couples in Malaysia in order to create better life in their family. From past highlights, 25 items have been identified as sender element. This research uses 7 point Likert scale to determine the suitability of items based on the consensus of experts. The items are evaluated by 10 experts. Data collected is analyzed using Fuzzy Delphi methodology. Research result based on consensus of experts finds that out of 25 items, one is rejected because it does not fulfill requirements. It is rejected because the threshold value exceeds 0.2 and expert percentage is less than 75%. The remaining 24 items show consensus of experts on the sender element in this model. This research finding is beneficial as reference for families in order to manage marital conflict in polygamous marriages.


Introduction
While a marital monogamy is highlighted as ideal and practice in traditional system of marriage (Green et al., 2015), undoubtedly 85 per cent of society in the anthropological record permit men to marry multiple wives (Henrich et al., 2012). It is recorded that people One of the qualities of good communicator, from Islamic point of view, is determined by his absolute truthfulness in delivering ideas to others in order to build trust in a respective interaction between them. Therefore, if someone tends to speak lies, consequently nobody will listen to him. Not only that, it will jeopardize the trust in the relationship. Besides that, as a good communicator, sender has to be the most influential people dealing with others, so that he becomes the source of inspiration in life especially promoting and doing good deeds. This situation can be applied to the field of da'wah or the preaching of Islam (Waizul Qarni et al., 2019).
In addition, Islam emphasizes other characteristics of good sender such as humility, kindness, justice, honesty, sincerity, intention, and ability to verify the source of the message as well as to inquire into its truth. Empathy also be applied in the process of communication where someone who is empathic has the ability to put himself in someone else's situation as well as to understand the feelings of others (Nuzula, 2015;Sarji, 1985). Not only that, communication will be successful and effective when both the person sending the message and the person receiving it understand the key messages being put across. Basically, listeners appreciate a little humor even in a serious speech. Therefore in the context of da'wah, the preacher as a source of message will employ humor effectively in his speech. Humor, however, should accentuate our communication, not dominate it. That is why when the preachers fill others' mind with as several hilarious anecdotes and stories as possible, they could create a harmonious situation among receivers and make them happy in life (Yaakob et al., 2018;Wan Mansor, 2014). Being a good communicator should be a key agenda for every couple so that each message delivered has the value of accuracy, truth, goodness, justice, honesty, humility, serenity, fun and glory. This discussion clearly demonstrates the importance of presenters having the knowledge to improve communication effectiveness because effective communication is crucial to enhancing harmony, health and happiness in the home and family (Muňiz & Álvarez, 2013;Chan et al., 2012;Apolinara et.al., 2011).

Literature Review
Many studies on polygamy or polygyny have been conducted. Most of the findings are about the effects of polygamous marriage on wives, children and husbands. Among the negative effects that children have on polygamous marriage such as emotional stress (Alhuzail, 2020), mental health problems, social problems and low academic achievement (Al-Sharfi et.al., 2016;Al-Krenawi & Slonim, 2008). In addition, polygamy has negative effects on wives such as stress (Farahmand & Rezvani, 2019), abuse (Thobejane & Flora 2014;Rafeah et al., 2017), problems in family functioning, marital relationships, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction with marriage, depression, anxiety, paranoid, psychotic (Al-Krenawi et al., 2011), impact on quality of life, ongoing conflict with wives and attitude of loving and neglectful husband (Gumani & Sodi, 2009).
Although previous research shows that polygamous marriages have negative effects, there are some studies that have found that polygamy has positive effects on families such as happiness (Thobejane & Flora, 2014), increasing the birth rate due to competition between spouses for childbirth because they believe their husbands love many children (Rossi, 2019) and reduce divorce (Gumani & Sodi, 2009;Khasawneh et al., 2011). In addition, a study conducted by Ekerbiçer et al. (2016) found that polygamy was recognized to have a positive effect on men. Men who practice polygamy are less likely to suffer from depression than men who practice monogamy. The study also found that there were a number of factors that caused a man to remarry, including a decline in sexual satisfaction by the first wife (37.1%), love for the second wife (22.8%) and incompatibility with the first wife (17.1%). However, 62.9% of them disagree with proposing polygamy to another man.
Polygamy has also been shown to have a positive effect on both wives and children when the husband or father is performing well. The wives claim that the husband provides education, a home for children and family expenses. They show great comfort because of the financial support and fairness shown by the husband. Children can also accept polygamy because their parents are fair (Khasawneh et al., 2011). The discussion on pros and cons of polygamy is too broad. Therefore polygamy can have a positive effect if the husband is fair and fulfills the requirements set forth in Islamic law. These requirements are outlined to protect the welfare and rights of wives and children. Benkheira (2019) in the study found that although polygamy practices depict men having the power to marry more than one person, the man has to adhere to Islamic law by fulfilling the requirements. However, in Malaysia, Abdullah and Khairuddin (2009) rightly highlighted that the right to practice polygamy was no longer the unilateral prerogative of the husband but based on a judicial decision of the Syariah Court. Therefore, a man who wishes to marry an additional wife must submit an application to the Syariah Court in accordance with Islamic law enactment (Abdullah, 2014;Abdullah & Khairuddin, 2009;Hak, 2008). In Malaysian context, Section 23(4) of Islamic Family Law (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003, for example, firmly states that an application for permission shall be submitted to the Court and accompanied by an iqrar or declaration and admission stating the grounds on which the proposed marriage is just and necessary.
Previous studies have shown many negative effects of polygamous marriages on wives and children. Therefore, a study was conducted to suggest a solution to this problem. For example, the study of Ault and Gilder (2016) described structural theory as applicable to polygamous marriages to restructure the role of family members and adapt them by changing family membership so that family harmony can be maintained. Lander's (2014) study found that forgiveness (forgiveness) therapy is one of the practical approaches to be practiced in a polygamous family to maintain harmony. In addition, the study of Slonim and Al-Krenawi (2006) found that various ways can be done to overcome the problem of polygamous marriages such as wives accepting polygamy as God's destiny, equitable provision by husband to each family, separation between the two households and maintaining respect for the other wife. In short, many studies have been conducted on polygamy and it is seen from many angles that it is illustrated that polygamy is practiced in the world especially in countries which are populated by Muslims. In addition to the issue of polygamy, this study also discusses family communication. Studies on family communication have also been conducted. Among them are the study of Nur Wahidah (2011) Many studies have shown that communication problems can trigger divorce (Thompson, 2008;Honeycutt, 1993;Thomas et al., 1995;Ismail, 2016). Family communication problems can also cause many other problems such as abuse and frustration (Xue et al., 2018;Thompson, 2008;O'Shay, 2020). In addition, communication problems are also associated with quarrels, misunderstandings and quarrels (Che Noh & Yusooff, 2011;Xue et al., 2018;Pickover et al., 2019). This previous study shows that communication problems often occur in monogamous families. There are not many studies examining communication problems in polygamous families but this is an important point to study as polygamous marriages involve Are the items categorized as communicative elements in the psychology of polygamous communication based on expert consensus?

Research Design
This study used the Fuzzy Delphi technique for the purpose of obtaining expert consensus on the items contained in the communicative elements in communication psychology developed based on the literature sample.
The analysis of the study data for the Fuzzy Delphi (FDM) method is based on the conditions contained in the triangular fuzzy number. The requirements for a triangular fuzzy number involving threshold value (d) and percentage of expert agreement with threshold value (d) for each item measured must be less than or equal to 0.2 (Chen, 2000;Cheng & Lin, 2002) and the percentage of expert group agreement must exceed or equal to 75% (Murry & Hammons, 1995;Chu & Hwang, 2008). The threshold value (d) will be analyzed using Microsoft Excel based on the following formula: For the process of determining the α-cut value for the purpose of analyzing the study data, the defuzzification process is used. In this process, the authors use one of the formulas cited by Mohd Ridhuan et al., (2013) as follows: If the resulting A value is less than the α-cut = 0.5 value, the item is rejected because there is no expert agreement in accepting the item. However, if the resulting A value exceeds the α-cut = 0.5 value, the item is accepted (Tang & Wu, 2010;Bodjanova, 2006).
In short, the requirements for reaching an expert agreement are as follows:

Instrument of Study
The instrument used was a questionnaire containing 25 items. This questionnaire is intended to identify items that are categorized as presenter elements in the psychology model of couples' communication in managing household conflict. Items contained in this element are based on the literature highlight. Subsequently, these items will be identified by distributing questionnaires that will be analyzed using the Fuzzy Delphi technique to obtain expert consensus. All question items were answered on a 7-point Likert scale (from 1 = Extremely Inappropriate, to 7 = Extremely Correct) as shown in Table 2 below: (0.5, 0.7, 0.9) 5 Really Suitable (0.7, 0.9, 1.0) 6 Extremely Suitable (0.9, 1.0, 1.0) 7 Source: (Mohd Ridhuan et al., 2015;Rashidah et al., 2018) Table 3 below shows the items asked by experts for the element of the presenter Co-wives interpret the message before passing it on to one another. 4 Co-wives receive every word or remark from each other in advance. 5 Co-wives need to convey the words according to the situation among themselves. 6 Co-wives have to be honest and truthful with each other. 7 Co-wives have to use good intonation with each other. 8 Co-wives need to be positive in conveying a message to each other. 9 Co-wives need to identify the authenticity of a message to convey to one another. 10 Co-wives should take precedence in making an assessment of the message that it wants to convey to one another in advance. 11 Co-wives need to be positive in conveying a message to each other. 12 Co-wives convey an idea / information / fact in a non-aggressive (fierce) way but are assertive and respect the rights and feelings of each other. 13 Co-wives deliver remarks or words to each other with a firm, easy-to-understand message. 14 Husbands need to show how to communicate with their actions. 15 Husbands interpret the message before passing it on to the wives. 16 Husband receives every word or word from the wives in advance. 17 Husbands convey words according to the situation to their wives. 18 Husbands need to be honest and truthful with their wives. 19 Husbands need to use good intonation with wives. 20 Husbands need to be positive in communicating a message to their wives. 21 Husbands need to identify the authenticity of the message they want to convey to their wives. 22 Husbands need to be bold in expressing their intentions to be polygamous to their wives.

23
Husbands need to give priority to making an assessment of the message they want to convey to their wives. 24 Husbands need to have clear information before conveying a message to their wives. 25 Husbands convey things firmly and respect the rights and feelings of their wives.

Sample of Study
In this study, the researchers selected 10 experts involving two polygamous practitioners and two co-wives with more than 5 years experiences, two officers of Malaysian religious affairs authority (one of them is an officer from the Family Law Division of Selangor Islamic Religious Department of Malaysia or JAIS; and another is an officer from the Family, Social and Community Divisions of Department of Islamic Development Malaysia or JAKIM), and four lecturers from Public Universities in Malaysia with expertise in Islamic preaching, communication, counseling and psychology. Table 4 below shows the number of experts involved:

Findings
The following is a review of the entire presenter item.   Overall, based on the threshold value (d) shows only 16 items rejected because the threshold value (d) is greater than 0.2.

Condition 2: Percentage of experts' Agreement (%)
Overall, based on expert approval percentage indicated that only 16 items were rejected due to less than 75% of expert consensus.

Condition 3: Fuzzy Score (A)
All of the items contained in this presenter element exceed the α-cut value required in the defuzzification process.
In conclusion, it can be said that item 16 was rejected because it failed to meet three requirements for expert consensus.

Discussion
The results of this study found that out of 25 items, one was rejected for not meeting the requirements. This item was rejected because the threshold value was greater than 0.2 and the specialist percentage was less than 75%, 'Husbands receive every word or remark from the wives first'. The remaining 24 items are acceptable as items for the conveyor component in polygamous communication.
The item 'Husband receives every word or remark from the wives first' does not get expert consent to apply in communicator communication because it raises many questions and is not well understood by the expert. This item raises the question whether a husband should receive every wife's speech? The word in advance is also confusing as what is the meaning of in advance? What comes first?
In addition, the reviewer also takes into account the expert's comments and suggestions for refinement purposes. Table 6 shows the items in the presenter element that have been obtained by the expert in the analysis using the Fuzzy Delphi technique. The bold items are items that have been refined and suggested to the researcher and have been approved by the panel of experts. Co-wives utter words or speeches to each other with a clear, easy-to-understand message. 2 Co-wives need to understand how husbands communicate. 3 Co-wives think (replacing the words 'interpret the message') before delivering the message amongst them. 4 Co-wives hear (in place of the word 'receive') the words or speeches of a fellow sister-wife first. 5 Co-wives need to convey the words according to the situation among themselves. 6 Co-wives have to be honest and truthful with each other. 7 Co-wives have to use good intonation with each other. 8 Co-wives needs to be positive in conveying a message to each other. 9 Co-wives need to identify the authenticity of a message to convey to one another. 10 Co-wives should take precedence in making an assessment of the message that it wants to convey to one another in advance. 11 Co-wives needs to be positive in conveying a message to each other. 12 Co-wives convey an idea / information / fact by way of wisdom (replacing the word 'not aggressive / loud but assertive') and respects the rights and feelings of each other. 13 Husbands convey words or speeches to their wives clearly (replacing the word 'firmly') with ease. 14 Husband needs to show good communication (replace the word 'along with action') 15 The husband thinks (replacing the words 'interpreting the message') before delivering the message to the wife. 16 Husbands convey words according to the situation to their wives. 17 Husbands need to speak honestly and truthfully with their wives according to circumstances and time (additional) 18 Husbands need to use good intonation with wives. 19 Husbands need to be positive in communicating a message to their wives. 20 Husbands need to identify the authenticity of the message they want to convey to their wives. 21 Husbands need to be honest about their intentions for polygamy. 22 Husbands need to give priority to making an assessment of the message they want to convey to their wives. 23 Husbands need to ensure the authenticity of the information before relaying the message to their wives. 24 Husbands convey things in a wise way (in place of the word 'firm') and respect the rights and feelings of their wives. In general, the findings show that there are eight (8) items that experts recommend for repair, namely items 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 24. Items 3 and 15, for example, specialists recommend the "sister-wife / husband 'message interpretation' item before passing the message to the co-wives / spouse, switching to the" sister-wife / husband 'thinking' before delivering the message to the co-wives / spouse. Thinking before delivering a message has many advantages because it encourages one to think ahead of time whether the message to be delivered is of benefit and benefit to the person who receives it or otherwise brings sadness and disadvantage to the recipient. The urge to think before speaking has been discussed by many researchers such as Steyn (2015), and Predelli (2004).
In addition, experts also recommend the item "sister-wife 'listen' the words or speeches of fellow co-wives first" to replace the word 'receive' (item number 4). Listening skills are one of the factors that can help improve communication effectiveness. This finding is in line with Wood and Davidson's (2002) study showing that empathic listening skills can reduce stress and family conflict.
Experts also suggest that the item "sister-wife conveys an idea / information / fact in a wise and respectful way while respecting the rights and feelings among them" to replace the word 'not aggressive / fierce but assertive '(Item number 12). Similarly to item number 24, experts recommend that "husbands convey something in wisdom and respect the rights and feelings of wives" in place of the word 'firm'. The findings show that experts are more likely to choose the word wisdom rather than strictly. This shows that wisdom is better than assertive. Wisdom in Islamic perspective is known as al-Hikmah, which refers to something appropriate depending on the circumstances (Mohd. Zin, 2003), and knowing the right thing and then acting according to it as well as accuracy in speech and actions and a true knowledge which can inspire oneself to conduct a meaningful and beneficial act (Lokman & Ibrahim, 2017). Wisdom and tact are essential in communication so that the message conveyed is appropriate and understandable and well received.
The findings of the study also show that experts recommend item number 13 changed from "Husband to convey words or speeches to wives firmly and clearly" to "Husbands convey words or speeches to wives clearly and easily". This suggests that the word firmly is not appropriate for polygamous couple communication because it is closer to authoritarian leadership style. Many studies have shown that authoritarian leadership style or conformity communication style as poorly and will affect the well-being of family members and that authoritative leadership style that promotes discussion and openness is better for the physical and mental development of families (Steinberg et al. 1994;Che Noh & Yusoff, 2011;Ismail, 2001;Siti Marziah et al., 2019).
In addition, item number 14 is also suggested by experts to change from "Husband needs to show how to communicate along with actions" to "Husband needs to show good communication". This shows that good communication is more important than proving it by action. Good words are very important in communication to create a happy and respectful atmosphere. On the other hand, bad words can lead to divorce and family conflict. This is evident in most studies on this subject (Hamzah & Mat Hasan., 2012;Esere, Ake & Comfort, 2014;Fowers, 2001;Mohamad et al., 2019).
Similarly for item 17, experts recommend that the item "Husband need to be honest and truthful with wives" is changed to item "Husband should speak honestly and truthfully with wives according to circumstances and time". The addition of the words "according to time and place" is reasonable because sometimes the truth does not need to be stated if it can offend the spouse especially if it involves sensitive issues such as the physical shape of the fat partner, acne face, petite body and so on (Raja Ahmad, 2017).

Conclusions
The results showed that 24 presenter items were agreed upon and accepted upon by 10 experts for polygamous communication. The only item the expert rejected was the item "Husband receives every word or speech from his wife first". The other 24 items are agreed upon by experts to serve as communicative items in the communication of polygamous couples with minimal adjustments. The findings of this study can be used as a reference and guidance for polygamous couples to improve the communication between husband and wife and between polygamous marriages.

Contribution of the Study
The present study concerning experts consensus on the items of sender in communication process among Malaysian Polygamous Muslim couples using the Delphi Fuzzy Method contributes to the theoretical and contextual aspects related to the field. Theoretically, it provides knowledge how to manage conflict among Muslim couples who do practice polygamous marriage. Not only that, the study also provides some ideas to those couples to improve their communication skills in order to maintain well-being and happiness within the interaction of each family member. In addition, this should bring shining on the plight of those couples to realize the philosophy of marriage in Islamic practice namely al-sakinah (happiness), al-mawaddah (affection and love) and al-rahmah (mercy and compassion). The study also has a significant to the existing knowledge related to developing a model of an ideal polygamous Muslim couples which comprises psychological communication theory. The construction of this model contributes to the development aspect of conflict management theory among polygamous couples. Stakeholders, namely the government, agencies, and individuals can use this model in planning pre and post-marriage courses in the community.