Coping with the dual-income lifestyle

The direct and moderating effects of coping mechanisms on aspects of spouses' well-being in dual-income marriages were examined. Well-being measures included emotional affect and physical symptomatology. The results differed for wives and husbands. For wives, planning and cognitive restructuring were related positively to positive affect and inversely to negative affect. For husbands, planning and cognitive restructuring were related positively to positive affect, withdrawing was related positively to negative affect. Use of planning, cognitive restructuring, talking, and withdrawing moderated the effects of role overload and conflict on spouses' physical symptomatology and emotional affect. Planning, cognitive restructuring, and talking were significant buffering mechanisms for wives, and restructuring and withdrawing were buffering mechanisms for husbands. Surprisingly, planning and talking exacerbated the relationship between husband's role overload and positive affect.