Sex and Money: exploring how sexual and financial stressors, perceptions and resources influence marital stability for men and women David B. Allsop, E. Jeffrey Hill, Ashley B. LeBaron, Roy A. Bean—BYU School of Family Life  

Introduction and Methods

Sexual relations and finances: A challenge for all couples Problem: Between 40% and 50% of all marriages end in divorce (Amato, 2010; Cherlin, 2010) Two often contributing factors are problems related to finances and sexual relationships (Grable, Britt, & Cantrell, 2007).  Research Gap: There is a scarcity of research that combines finances, sex, and marital instability into one research model. Few studies have explored the role that gender plays in these models or potential mediators that would help us understand these relationships.

Methods Data Origin: Wave 2 of the Flourishing Families Project, a longitudinal study of inner family life involving couples who have children ages 10 to 17  (Day, Coyne, Dyer, Harper & Walker, 2016). Sample Selection: Only two-parent families were used in the analysis. For analyses which used the couple as the unit, N = 301 couples (602 participants total). For analyses which used either the husband or wife individually, N = 223 men or women, respectively. The reason the sample sizes are different have to do with cleaning the data in preparation for use in AMOS (but at minimum still includes 446 participants).

Methods Analysis Models: Path analyses using AMOS 23 software. The arrangement of scales in the path analysis was determined based on their relationship to the components of Hill’s (1949) ABC-X model of family stress (family stressors, resources , perceptions , and level of stress/crisis). Models: An initial model was run which does not include financial communication and relational communication as mediators. A second model added financial communication and relational communication as mediators. Each of these models was run for the couple, men, and women.

Adaptation of Reuben Hill’s 1949 model of family stress Stressors (A) Resources (B) Perceptions (C) Communication Relational Crisis Level of Stress/Crisis (X) This model was actually developed by the uncle of the second author, Dr. Jeff Hill

Adaptation of Reuben Hill’s 1949 model of family stress Variable Adaptation of Reuben Hill’s 1949 model of family stress Mediator Variable

Adaptation of Reuben Hill’s 1949 model of family stress Level of Stress/Crisis (X) Stressors (A) Resources (B) Perceptions (C) Communication Relational Intervention Relational Crisis Adaptation of Reuben Hill’s 1949 model of family stress Stressors (A) Resources (B) Perceptions (C) Communication Relational Crisis Level of Stress/Crisis (X) This model was actually developed by the uncle of the second author, Dr. Jeff Hill

Results

Key Results of path analysis with no mediation  

Key Results of path analysis with no mediation Financial stress was associated with higher sexual dissatisfaction for men, but not for women. Parenting stress predicted higher sexual dissatisfaction for women, but not for men.  Parenting stress also predicted lower income for men but not for women.    

Key Results of path analysis with no mediation Financial dissatisfaction and sexual dissatisfaction predicted increased   marital instability for both men and women. Lower income predicted higher marital instability for men, but not for women.   

Key Results of path analysis with mediation Financial and relational communication fully mediated all significant relationships with marital instability except couple income still predicted marital instability for men. Financial and relational communication predicted marital instability for men and women.     

Implications

Implications Family life educators should promote marital stability by helping couples to develop healthy communication patterns related to sex and money. Policies such as flexible work arrangements or paid paternity leave may help diminish men's parenting stress. Family life educators should raise awareness that sexual dissatisfaction is affected by parenting stress more for women and by financial stress more for men. Additional implications will come as we delve into these results further.

Implications Family life educators should address finances and sexual relationships on stressor, resource, perception, and outcome levels. Couples desiring to improve their financial and sexual relationships should focus on developing effective communication. Additional implications will come as we delve into these results further.

Conclusion Why did you not use longitudinal data? A: This was the only wave where all of the variables needed were available. We suggest future research examine these trends longitudinally. Why does parenting stress predict couple income? A: We chose to arrange it in this way in our model believing that the more a parent is stressed, the less likely they will be to perform well in work, although it certainly could go the reverse way.

Conclusion Communication is key in improving financial and sexual relationships. Gender matters when it comes to understanding finances and sex in marriage. Additional implications will come as we delve into these results further.

References Amato, P. R., & DeBoer, D. D. (2001). The transmission of marital instability across generations: Relationship skills or commitment to marriage? Journal of Marriage and Family, 63(4), 1038-1051.  Day, R. D., Coyne, S., Dyer, J., Harper, J., & Walker, L. (2016). Flourishing Families Project: Survey of Family Life.   Grable, J. E., Britt, S., & Cantrell, J. (2007). An exploratory study of the role financial satisfaction has on the thought of subsequent divorce. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 36(2), 130-150. doi:10.1177/1077727X07309284   Hill, R. (1949). Families under stress. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers. 

Questions Why did you not use longitudinal data? A: This was the only wave where all of the variables needed were available. We suggest future research examine these trends longitudinally. Why does parenting stress predict couple income? A: We chose to arrange it in this way in our model believing that the more a parent is stressed, the less likely they will be to perform well in work, although it certainly could go the reverse way.