Factors influencing ratings of marital quality by individuals within dual-career marriages: A conceptual model.

Abstract

In the present study, the authors proposed and tested a model of marital quality among individuals (52 men, 55 women) in dual-career marriages. The model was constructed within a social role framework and includes variables that positively influence marital quality, those that negatively influence marital quality, and those that mediate the relationship between the negative factors and marital quality. A path analysis indicated that marital quality was predicted directly by love, sexual satisfaction, communication, and satisfaction with the dual-career lifestyle. Objective demands of job and family roles predicted perceived job-family role strain. Coping, but not perceived equity, mediated the relationship between role strain and marital quality. Combined income and social support impacted marital quality indirectly through satisfaction with the dual-career lifestyle. Implications for counselors are discussed.