Marital power relations, resources and gender role ideology: A multivariate model for assessing effects

The current paper analyzes the impact of several sets of variables, includi ng resources, emotional commitment and background factors, on perceived mar ital power relations and anticipated dependence on one's spouse. The study, performed on a sample of elderly Israeli husbands, compared results betwee n men with "traditional" and "modern" gender role attitudes. Findings indic ate that normative context (i.e., "traditional" versus "modern") affects th e variables explaining marital power relations. responses of "traditional" husbands suggested a stronger relationship between power relations and inst rumental as well as affective variables, whereas "modern" spouses emphasize d variables that are psychological in nature. Considerable differences were also found between the two groups with regard to the variables explaining anticipated dependence on the wife in Various areas of life.