THE MARITAL DYNAMICS OF CONFLICT OVER THE DIVISION-OF-LABOR

The division of labor as a source of conflict is a concern for many co uples. This study goes beyond the mere prediction of the amount of mar ital conflict by scrutinizing the relationship between spouses' discon tent with the division of labor, their conflict interaction patterns, and subsequent outcomes. In addition, it aims to explain the relations hip between wives' discontent with the division of labor and their con flict avoidance by looking at the moderating effect of spouses' gender role ideology. A survey of 494 Dutch couples showed that constructive and destructive conflict outcomes were predicted by spouses' disconte nt with the division of labor via marital interaction. The wife's disc ontent with housework was positively related to wife-demand/husband-wi thdraw interaction, which, in turn, predicted destructive conflict out comes. Constructive conflict outcomes were predicted by mutually integ rative interaction, which was, in turn, predicted by lower levels of d iscontent with the division of labor. Finally, traditional wives and w ives with traditional husbands were more inclined to avoid conflict ab out the division of labor-despite their discontent-than egalitarian wi ves and wives with egalitarian husbands.