Household income differentiates quantity and quality of shared spousal time.

Journal of Family Psychology, Vol 37(4), Jun 2023, 528-537; doi:10.1037/fam0001078Shared time is a centrally important component of relationship maintenance, and over the past few decades, couples have reported spending increasingly more time together. However, over this same time period divorce rates have risen much higher for lower income couples compared to higher income couples. One theorized explanation for the disparity in divorce rates between lower and higher income couples is a difference across the socioeconomic strata in the quantity and quality of time couples spend together. This theory argues that lower income couples may experience a time deficit because they face a greater number of stressors that take up time, diminishing the quantity of time they have available to spend together. They may also need to use the time they do have available to deal with stressors rather than engaging in more enjoyable activities together, diminishing the quality of time they share. Using a sample of N = 14,788 respondents from the American Time Use Survey, the present study examined whether household income was associated with the quantity and quality of time married couples spend together. Consistent with predictions, lower income couples spent less alone time together but this was moderated by weekday versus weekend and presence of children. Lower income couples also reported higher levels of stress during time spent with their spouse than higher income couples, and this assoc...
Source: Journal of Family Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research