Coping, power, and satisfaction in marriage

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between coping, power, and satisfaction in marriage. Measures of power, including resources, decision- making, and influence tactics, in marriage were used to predict situational coping. The COPE Inventory was used to assess three types of coping: problem-focused, emotion- focused, and maladaptive strategies.

Data were collected on 91 married individuals with an average age of 36 years and marriage duration of 12 years. Participants were administered measures of decision-making power, power strategy use, coping, stressful life experiences, and marital satisfaction.

Regression analyses were used to test for interactions between power and gender in the prediction of coping. In addition, a series of multiple regressions were run to determine if power in marriage could predict coping. Power was found to significantly predict problem-focused coping for women but not men. Findings suggest 1) gender and power are not independent in the prediction of coping; 2) education and income may be the best predictors of problem-focused coping strategies for women; and 3) marital satisfaction is related to power strategies and negative life events.