Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Association between Subjective Well-Being and Marital Adjustment

This study was conducted to estimate the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on the association between three indices of subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect) and positive and negative components of marital adjustment (i.e., spousal support, spousal strain) in a sample of adult married twin pairs (N = 453 pairs). Results indicated that subjective well-being and marital adjustment were significantly associated (particularly in women), that there were gender differences in the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on this covariation, and that this association was largely influenced by genetic factors in women and genetic and nonshared environmental factors in men. These findings highlight the importance of using genetically informed research to evaluate the genetic and environmental influences on the covariation between marital adjustment and individual outcomes such as subjective well-being.