Social network variables related to marital satisfaction

Abstract

This study investigated the correlation of marital satisfaction with two network variables: proportion of kin to nonkin and quality of network exchanges. It was hypothesized that aflective gives and receives would be significantly related to marital satisfaction for women and that instrumental gives and receives would be significantly related to marital satisfaction for men. It was further hypothesized that women and men would differ significantly on these variables and that the proportion of kin to nonkin in the network would be significantly higher for women than for men. While the hypotheses were net confirmed, strong support was found for a curvilinear relationship between marital satisfaction and the network variables which diluted the power of the correlations. The hypotheses concerning the differential relationship of the quality of network gives and receives with marital satisfaction were confirmed when the nondistressed group was examined separately.