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How important is marital fairness over the lifespan?
International Journal of Aging & Human Development
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Marital equity changes over a woman's life, shifting from perceived overbenefit to underbenefit, and finally to fairness in later years. These changes impact feelings about marital fairness across the lifespan.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Marital equity is crucial for relationship satisfaction.
- Understanding how perceptions of fairness evolve across the lifespan is essential for long-term relationship health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in marital equity over the lifespan among middle-aged and older women.
- To examine women's feelings about equity and inequity at different life stages.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study using retrospective data.
- Sample of middle-aged and older married women.
- Assessed perceptions of marital equity at eight lifespan points.
Main Results:
- Aggregated data showed a pattern of overbenefit, then underbenefit, then fairness.
- Disaggregated data revealed three distinct patterns of marital equity over time.
- Women's emotional reactions to equity levels followed a curvilinear pattern.
Conclusions:
- Marital equity is not static and changes significantly across the lifespan.
- Individual experiences of marital equity vary, with distinct patterns emerging.
- Perceptions of fairness and associated emotional responses are dynamic throughout marriage.