Results of this study indicate that the relationship between economic productivity of females and the occurrence of polygyny is different in different types of economic systems. Extant theories are too simplistic to explain these differences. Suggestions are made for further theoretical development which involves integration of several previous…

Results of studying married couples spanning a wide range of income and prestige levels cast doubt upon the generalization that high levels of dollars and prestige earned in the occupational marketplace are readily transformed into reciprocal exchanges of instrumental and expressive rewards and role performances in the marital dyad. (Author/BEF)

Data from a national sample of married adults, interviewed four times between 1980 and 1992, do not support the idea that unhappily married couples use childbearing as a strategy to increase solidarity and reduce marital uncertainty. Instead, results indicate that a solid marriage and compatibility between spouses encourage parenthood and…

Current Population Survey data on flextime use of married full-time workers (7,837 women, 10,846 men)and a survey of 146 married employees using various alternative arrangements indicate that personal, family, and work characteristics significantly influence flextime use. Women were more likely to use it to reduce work-family conflicts, men to…

Examined identity and activities of secondary caregivers of elderly persons. Found that secondary caregivers were often spouse and children of primary caregiver. They provided wide variety of help, but much less than primary caregiver. Help was provided in pattern supplementary rather than complementary to that of primary caregiver. (Author/NB)

Compared interactions of 11 dissatisfied and 11 satisfied couples on basis of trained observers' ratings of spouses' behavior through time on 3 scales: withdrawn/involved, hostile/friendly, and displeasure/pleasure. Dissatisfied coupled evidenced significantly lower mean ratings of hostility and displeasure, but no differences in withdrawal.…

Explores married couples' understanding and recall of conversations to consider how intersubjective understanding in marriage is affected by the ambiguity and coding difficulties associated with particular perceptions. Shows that individual-level perceptions are only partly responsive to direct communication between spouses. (SR)

Examines verbal influence behavior during couples' disagreements. Finds the most frequently used strategies are content validation, self-assertions, and other accusations. Finds less use of content invalidation, self-defense, and other-support. Analyzes male/female differences in persuasive tactics. Finds interaction patterns are predominantly…

Compared perceptions of 19 bereaved spouses with those of 47 bereaved adult children. Differences between groups were found in appraised difficulty of the death, number of peripheral sources of support, and assistance from friends and neighbors. Spouses suffered more negative side effects than adult children in reported health and emotional…

Examined relationship between multiple role involvements and adjustment to conjugal bereavement in surviving spouses (N=49). Data indicated a significant positive correlation between number of roles reported and adjustment score. The self-report behavioral measure of role involvements was a better predictor of adjustment than was sex, age, elapsed…

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of married couples who are both members of the communication discipline. Proposes several ways that married couples, departments, and institutions can deal with dual-career couples creatively and effectively. (MM)

Studied etiology of physical aggression toward spouses in couples (N=328) 6 weeks prior to marriage and 6-18 months after marriage. Found men had higher ratings of violent activities outside home but men and women engaged in similar amounts of aggression within their families. Found women more likely to generalize aggression. (Author/CM)

Investigated relative contribution of some psychological and socioeconomic and background variables to job satisfaction in fully employed and underemployed (holding positions requiring less education than that obtained) couples (N=131). Found no significant differences between fully employed and underemployed spouses or couples on job…

Five married couples in counseling and five couples not in counseling rated family members on 25 attribute scales. Analyzed similarities derived from ratings through ordinal Euclidian multidimensional scaling, yielding family structure maps. Maps revealed that counseling subjects saw themselves as less similar to spouses and saw need for spousal…

Time-budget and interview study with 60 married couples analyzed household labor activities in terms of whether they were experienced as work or leisure, and in terms of their perceptual dimensions and objective situational contexts. Found women defined their household labor activities more often as work than did males, and that situational…