Work-Family Conflict and Marital Quality: Mediating Processes

Abstract

Stress caused by conflict between work and home demands has long been thought to have an adverse influence on family life. Using a sample of 337 couples derived from a longitudinal study offamilies living in the rural midwest, this study examines the influence of work-family conflict on marital quality and marital stability as it is mediated through psychological distress and quality of marital interaction. We conducted analyses using structural equation modeling procedures, and attempted to control method-variance biases through the use of multiple informants and multiple methods. Results showed that work-family conflict resulting from husbands' and wives' employment is related positively to the psychological distress of each, and that psychological distress affects marital outcomes both directly and indirectly through its association with greater marital hostility and less marital warmth and supportiveness.