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Stress Perception and Marital Instability Across the Family Life Cycle: An Actor-Partner Perspective
Xiaoyue Wang1, Qingyin Li1, Ziyuan Chen1
1Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
Family Process
|March 12, 2025
Summary
Spousal stress impacts marital instability, with effects changing across marriage stages. Daily communication is a key mediator, highlighting its importance for relationship stability throughout the family life cycle.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Rising divorce rates necessitate understanding marital instability factors.
- The stress-divorce model suggests spousal stress perception influences marriage via communication.
- Family life cycle stages present unique challenges impacting marital dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between spousal stress perception and marital instability.
- To examine actor and partner effects across family life cycle stages.
- To explore the mediating role of daily communication in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 654 couples across four family life cycle stages: newlywed, pre-school children, school-age children, and empty-nest.
- Utilized the Perceived Stress Scale, Primary Communication Inventory, and Marital Instability Scale.
- Analyzed actor and partner effects and the mediating role of communication.
Main Results:
- Actor-partner effects of stress perception on marital instability were present in early marriage, diminished with children, and lessened in the empty-nest stage.
- Actor effects persisted through the child-rearing stages.
- Daily communication consistently mediated the relationship between stress perception and marital instability across all stages.
Conclusions:
- The association between stress perception and marital instability evolves dynamically across the family life cycle.
- Maintaining effective daily communication is crucial for managing stress and promoting marital stability.
- Interventions should consider the changing influence of stress and communication across different marital stages.
Keywords:
actor‐partner interdependence mediation modeldaily communicationfamily life cyclemarital instabilitystress perceptionMore Related Videos
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