Taking work home: A study of daily fluctuations in work stressors, effects on moods and impacts on marital partners

Abstract

Occupational stress studies have been criticized for their excessive focus on a narrow range of stressors, and for over‐use of cross‐sectional survey designs. This study used daily questionnaires to investigate day‐to‐day influences of fluctuations in the individual's perceptions of work in a sample of full‐time working couples studied over a three‐week period. It focused on the effects of work stressors on the individual and the impact on their marital partner. Questionnaires measured daily mood, work and home stressors, and marital interactions. The study included both quantitative measures and qualitative accounts of stressful incidents during the day. This allowed a detailed investigation of the complex interrelationships between work stressors and psychological strains for both partners, taking into account home stressors and marital communication about work. Results confirmed some of the findings of previous diary studies and provide evidence of spillover effects from home to work. It failed to demonstrate unambiguous evidence of transmission of work stress.