Marital Satisfaction in an Economically Marginal Population

Abstract

This research examines the effect of husband's income and employment on the marital dyad in a marginally employed white population. The results suggest that husband's income and unemployment have no direct, additive effect on marital satisfaction or on the organization of marital roles. Furthermore, the relationship between marital satisfaction and marital roles is unaffected by controlling for economic variables. The data do show an interaction effect, however, between marital roles and husband's economic performance. The authors conclude that there is a threshold below which economic stresses and strains become important predictors of marital satisfaction independent of their impact on the organization of marital roles.