MENS RETIREMENT AND MARITAL QUALITY

Using longitudinal data from a national sample of married persons, we explore a wide range of contextual factors that may influence the effe ct of retirement on marital quality. Characteristics of the husband's job, the division of labor, health, social support, and marital qualit y are preretirement factors found to affect the influence of retiremen t on marital quality. Leaving a high-stress job improves marital quali ty, whereas factors signifying gender role reversals, poor health, and reduced social support lower marital quality. Changes that accompany retirement involving role reversals and decreased social support lower marital quality as did the amount of change in the individual's life. Retirement has a more powerful and pervasive influence on marital qua lity than prior research suggests.