School of Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506.
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Examining the Relationship Between Financial Issues and Divorce
Article first published online: 4 SEP 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00715.x
© 2012 by the National Council on Family Relations
Additional Information
How to Cite
Dew, J., Britt, S. and Huston, S. (2012), Examining the Relationship Between Financial Issues and Divorce. Family Relations, 61: 615–628. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00715.x
Personal Financial Planning, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409.
Publication History
- Issue published online: 4 SEP 2012
- Article first published online: 4 SEP 2012
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- divorce;
- family resource management;
- family stress and conflict;
- gender
Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Families and Households and both wife- and husband-reported data (N = 4,574 couples), this study examined how financial well-being, financial disagreements, and perceptions of financial inequity were associated with the likelihood of divorce. When financial disagreements were in the model, financial well-being was not associated with divorce. Both wives' and husbands' financial disagreements were the strongest disagreement types to predict divorce. Mediators derived from systems theory (conflict tactics) and social exchange theory (marital satisfaction) fully mediated the association between financial disagreement and the hazard of divorce. Finally, financial disagreements fully mediated the association between perceptions of financial inequity and divorce. These findings suggest that financial disagreements are stronger predictors of divorce relative to other common marital disagreements. They further suggest that financial disagreements (e.g., “content”) are associated with marital process.