Changes in wives' income: Effects on marital happiness, psychological well-being, and the risk of divorce

We investigate the effects of increases in married women's actual income an d in their proportion of total family income on marital happiness, psycholo gical well-being, and the likelihood of divorce. We use data from a sample of 1,047 married individuals (not couples) in medium-duration marriages, dr awn from a five-wave panel survey begun in 1980 and continuing to 1997. Str uctural equation modeling is used to assess the impact of increases in marr ied women's absolute and relative income from 1980 to 1988 on the marital h appiness and well-being of married men and women in 1988 Evens history anal ysis is used to determine how these changes affect the risk of divorce betw een 1988 and 1997. We find that increases in married women's absolute and r elative income significantly increase their marital happiness and well-bein g. Increases in married women's absolute income generally have nonsignifica nt effects for married men. However, married men's wellbeing is significant ly lower when married women's proportional contributions to the total famil y income are increased. The likelihood of divorce is not significantly affe cted by increases in married women's income. Nevertheless, increases in mar ried women's income may indirectly lower the risk of divorce by increasing women's marital happiness.