Sj. Rogers et Dd. Deboer, Changes in wives' income: Effects on marital happiness, psychological well-being, and the risk of divorce, J MARRIAGE, 63(2), 2001, pp. 458-472
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.