Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1993

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Priscilla White Blanton

Committee Members

Greer Litton Fox, Jim Moran, Arie Nettles, Julia Malia, Josette Rabun

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate power, beyond just decision making processes to include relational aspects of power and the influence of socioeconomic resources on perceptions of equity in marriage for husbands and wives. In addition, a new scale to measure personal and positional power in marriage was developed, and its reliability and validity were tested. Ninety-two husbands and wives comprised the sample for the study. Husbands' and wives' means did not differ for the positional power subscale of the PPPI, nor the equity scale. Husbands' and wives' means on the personal power subscale of the PPPI were significantly different, however. T-tests were conducted also on the means of individual items of the new scale and differences were revealed on three items of the personal power subscale. Regression analyses using the variables of hours worked in paid employment, personal income, and educational attainment to predict personal power for both husbands and wives were conducted. The models were not significant for predicting variance in personal power. The same model was tested for predicting positional power in both husbands and wives. Again, the model using socioeconomic variables as predictors for positional power was not significant. A regression analyses using the variables of hours worked in paid employment, personal income, educational attainment, personal power, and positional power to predict equity for both husbands and wives was tested. None of the socioeconomic variables was a significant predictor for equity; however, positional power was a predictor variable for equity in husbands and wives combined when univariate analyses were examined, and personal power approached significance. Regression analyses were then conducted for husbands and wives as separate groups. Although the full model predicted 26 percent of the variance in equity for husbands, the full model was not significant for wives. Regression analysis testing a reduced model through forced entry of variables into the equation was conducted for husbands. The reduced model of personal power and positional power predicted 27 percent of the variance in equity for husbands. The strongest predictor of equity for husbands was positional power, and it was an inverse relationship. Therefore, the more use of positional power, the less perceived equity. The relationship between personal power and equity was positive. Thus, the more use of personal power, the more the marriage was seen as being equitable. The findings of this study support the notion that when couples can achieve economic interdependence, their marriage is seen as equitable. Economic interdependence moves both husbands and wives toward a "win-win" situation if they are able to see that they are not losing their traditional bases of power, but rather are adding new bases of power. Men can have personal power without losing their masculinity; women can have positional power without losing their femininity.

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