ANTICIPATED DEPENDENCE - A DETERMINANT IN AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF POWER RELATIONS AMONG ELDERLY COUPLES

The study proposes an integrative, multivariate model for analysis of conjugal power relations among elderly married couples, from the persp ective of the husband. The conceptual framework of the model is based on the well-known Resource Theory. However, in addition to the resourc es examined in other studies (e.g., economic and social resources), th is model considers the husband's anticipated dependence on his wife as a potential factor that may explain conjugal power relations. The int egrative model was tested on 211 elderly husbands in Israel. It was fo und that the primary variables explaining conjugal power relations in late adulthood are psychological-expressive in nature. Instrumental-ec onomic resources were not found to have any explanatory power in the l ate stage of life. Traditional attitudes of the husband regarding the capacity of women to fulfill roles outside of the home correlated posi tively with his perceived power in the marital relationship. The findi ngs indicate that the Resource Theory may be expanded, and that antici pated dependence can be incorporated as a potential resource affecting current power relations among elderly couples.