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The Role of Money Arguments in Marriage

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  • Sonya Britt
  • Sandra Huston

Abstract

Despite the paucity of empirical evidence indicating the impact of money arguments on spousal relationship outcomes, it is common belief that money plays a large role in the life of couples. This study used panel data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Study of Youth to examine how money-related arguments affect the marital relationship. Economic theory indicates that initial expectations about the marriage and variance in expectations are both important in predicting relationship satisfaction and divorce. Money arguments were modeled as a sign of the lack of investment in spousal-specific capital and were hypothesized to negatively impact relationship quality. Results suggest that money arguments are an important indicator of relationship satisfaction, but are not as influential in predicting divorce. Both the approach used to model money arguments and the empirical results can be used by marriage therapists and financial counselors to help couples understand and improve the benefits received through marriage. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

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  • Sonya Britt & Sandra Huston, 2012. "The Role of Money Arguments in Marriage," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 464-476, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jfamec:v:33:y:2012:i:4:p:464-476
    DOI: 10.1007/s10834-012-9304-5
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    1. Melissa A. Curran & Emily Parrott & Sun Young Ahn & Joyce Serido & Soyeon Shim, 2018. "Young Adults’ Life Outcomes and Well-Being: Perceived Financial Socialization from Parents, the Romantic Partner, and Young Adults’ Own Financial Behaviors," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 445-456, September.
    2. Bryce L. Jorgensen & David B. Allsop & Samuel D. Runyan & Brandan E. Wheeler & David A. Evans & Loren D. Marks, 2019. "Forming Financial Vision: How Parents Prepare Young Adults for Financial Success," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 553-563, September.
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    4. J. Scott Crapo & Joshua J. Turner & Olena Kopystynska & Kay Bradford & Brian J. Higginbotham, 2021. "Financial Stress and Perceptions of Spousal Behavior Over Time in Remarriages," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 300-313, June.
    5. Kirk Doran & Joseph Price, 2014. "Pornography and Marriage," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 489-498, December.
    6. Elizabeth Horner, 2014. "Continued Pursuit of Happily Ever After: Low Barriers to Divorce and Happiness," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 228-240, June.
    7. Ashley B. LeBaron & E. Jeffrey Hill & Christina M. Rosa & Travis J. Spencer & Loren D. Marks & Joshua T. Powell, 2018. "I Wish: Multigenerational Regrets and Reflections on Teaching Children About Money," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 220-232, June.
    8. David Boto‐García & Federico Perali, 2024. "The association between marital locus of control and break‐up intentions," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 83(1), pages 35-57, January.
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    10. Brandan E. Wheeler & Jennifer L. Kerpelman & Jeremy B. Yorgason, 2019. "Economic Hardship, Financial Distress, and Marital Quality: The Role of Relational Aggression," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 658-672, December.
    11. Marshal Neal Fettro & Kei Nomaguchi, 2018. "Spousal Problems and Family-to-Work Conflict Among Employed US Adults," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 277-296, June.
    12. Ashley Larsen Gibby & Logan Pettit & E. Jeffrey Hill & Jeremy Yorgason & Erin Kramer Holmes, 2021. "Implicit and Explicit Childhood Financial Socialization: Protective Factors for Marital Financial Disagreements," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 225-236, June.
    13. Brandan E. Wheeler & Cecilia Brooks, 2023. "Financial Concerns, Relationship Happiness, and Financial Management Behaviors: A Moderating Relationship Among Married and Cohabiting Respondents," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 325-341, June.
    14. Donald Bruce Ross & Catherine Walker O’Neal & Amy Laura Arnold & Jay A. Mancini, 2017. "Money Matters in Marriage: Financial Concerns, Warmth, and Hostility Among Military Couples," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 572-581, December.
    15. Jeffrey Dew, 2021. "Ten Years of Marriage and Cohabitation Research in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 52-61, July.
    16. Monika Baryła-Matejczuk & Viktorija Skvarciany & Andrzej Cwynar & Wiesław Poleszak & Wiktor Cwynar, 2020. "Link between Financial Management Behaviours and Quality of Relationship and Overall Life Satisfaction among Married and Cohabiting Couples: Insights from Application of Artificial Neural Networks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-16, February.
    17. Yunchao Cai & Qian Li, 2024. "The Role of Relative Income in Determining Marital Satisfaction for Husband and Wife in China," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 45-55, March.

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