Diary reports on daily economic decisions of happy versus unhappy couples

Abstract

Twenty-one couples completed a retrospective purchasing diary during a period of 28 days. The descriptions of daily purchase interactions were analysed with respect to determinants of happy versus unhappy spouses' influence and influence shifts. It was found that influence varies across product categories and depends on the levels of information of husbands and wives; spouses' relative resource contributions had no effect. If the marital relationship was harmonious, also the relative need for a commodity and the discussion style were significant predictors of influence. Influence was not stable across purchase decisions but varies considerably. It seems that couples kept a record of each other's ‘ influence debts’, that is, if one spouse had the say in a past decision process, he or she needed to pay back his or her gains and yield in an upcoming decision.