Economic Resources, Marital Bargains, and Marital Quality

Liana C. Sayer, Ohio State University
Lisa Nicholson, Ohio State University

Under what conditions do spouses have more “voice” or bargaining power to get what they want from their marriages? In this analysis, we use longitudinal data from 3 waves of the NSFH to measure whether changes in resources between the first and second waves are related to changes in perceived fairness of the division of paid and unpaid work during the same time period, and whether changes in perceived fairness from time 1 to time 2 are related to changes in marital quality between the second and third waves. Because of the omnipresent effects of gender on individual identities, interactions, institutions, and societal norms, we examine variation by gender in the relationship among resources, changes in perceived fairness, and changes in marital quality. This research will shed light on how economic resources, perceptions of relationship quality, and relationship outcomes are interrelated.