That graduate study is detrimental to marriages has received empirical
support. This study utilized systems theory to examine and help explain the
dissolution process of graduate student marriages. Specifically, it examined the
impact of marital structure on perceptions of marital quality. Drawing primarily
from Scheinkman's (1988) qualitative study, spouses in asymmetrical marriages
(i.e., marriages where only one spouse is in graduate school), as opposed to
symmetrical marriages (i.e., marriages where both spouses are in graduate
school), were hypothesized to report (a) less satisfaction with the division of
household labor, (b) lower perceptions of equity, and (c) less satisfaction with
emotional intimacy. These, in turn, were hypothesized to lower perceptions of
marital quality.
Participants from a list of master's and doctoral-level students at a west
coast university in the United States were randomly selected and contacted by
phone. Only married students and their partners were solicited for participation.
The final sample consisted of 121 married individuals (60 husband-wife pairs, 1
female) who responded to a mailed questionnaire. Of these 121 respondents,
85 were involved in asymmetrical arrangements and 36 in symmetrical
arrangements.
Contrary to expectations, asymmetry did not indirectly (and negatively)
affect marital quality through satisfaction with the division of household labor
and perception of equity. There was, however, some evidence that asymmetry
negatively influenced marital quality by lowering spouses' satisfaction with
emotional intimacy. This latter finding was considered to be meaningfully
significant because satisfaction with emotional intimacy was by far the strongest
predictor of marital quality.
The findings are discussed primarily in terms of the education level of
each spouse. Reconceptualizing asymmetry as an educational or power
differential, or even more generally as a difference in emotional experiences, is
recommended. In other words, it is not the number of spouses in school per se
that matters; it is the understanding and emotional connectedness between
them. / Graduation date: 1997
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/34383 |
| Date | 24 July 1996 |
| Creators | Sakashita, Shari S. |
| Contributors | Acock, Alan C., Zvonkovic, Anisa M. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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