Publication year
2017
Citation Title
Money matters in marriage: Financial concerns, warmth, and hostility among military couples.
Journal Name
Journal of Family and Economic Issues
Journal Volume
38
Page Numbers
572–581
DOI
10.1007/s10834-017-9522-y
Summary
Couples with more financial concerns often have more marital problems; however, less is known about the money matters in military couples. This study surveyed 219 military couples regarding their financial management concerns, marital interactions (warmth and hostility), and marital quality. Results indicated that individuals with more financial concerns showed more hostility and less warmth toward their spouse, which in turn was linked to poor marital quality.
Key Findings
Individuals who had more financial concerns showed more hostility and less warmth toward their spouse.
Marital interactions (warmth or hostility from the spouse) were associated with individuals' perceived marital quality.
Marital warmth (instead of hostility) was the primary factor that linked the relationship between financial concerns and marital quality.
Implications for Program Leaders
Design marital education workshops for military couples that integrate the component of financial management
Educate military couples about how to communicate financial management issues
Encourage both partners to participate in financial management workshops so that their marital satisfaction can potentially be improved
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote the development of financial counseling programs not only for Service members but also for civilian spouses
Raise awareness on military bases regarding the association between financial concerns and marital quality
Recommend professional development for professionals working with military families regarding how marital warmth may buffer the impact of financial stress
Methods
The study was part of a larger study that examined couples and their adolescents in military families; the method of recruitment was not indicated.
Couples completed surveys regarding their financial management concerns, marital interactions, and marital quality.
Data were analyzed to examine the associations between financial stress and marital quality, as well as the role of marital interaction in the association.
Participants
Participants were 219 married military couples; all the husbands were Active Duty Service members and all the wives were civilians.
The average age of the couples was not reported; the majority of the couples (84% of the husbands and 79% of the wives) were between the age of 31 and 40 years.
The race/ethnicity and service branches of the couples were not reported.
Limitations
All Service members were Active Duty Service members; therefore, caution must be taken to generalize the results to National Guard or Reserve Service members.
The study was solely based on self-report data, so the results may be subject to social-desirability bias.
All the husbands were Service members and all the wives were civilians; therefore, the generalizability of the study is limited.
Avenues for Future Research
Recruit not only Active Duty Service members but also National Guards and Reservists so that the findings can be better generalized
Conduct longitudinal studies to examine the causal relationships between financial concerns, marital interactions, and marital quality
Use observation data to assess marital interactions so that the results are more objective
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Military Component
Abstract
The effects of military couples’ (N = 219) financial management concerns on marital quality were investigated using an actor-partner interdependence model based on the family stress model. The influence of the mediating role of warm and hostile marital interactions was also investigated after accounting for multiple indicators of the military context, which are usually significant in the lives of military families. Individuals with higher levels of concern about financial management expressed less warmth and more hostility towards their partner. In turn, individuals exhibiting higher levels of warmth had spouses who reported greater marital quality.
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