Gender, Marriage, and Psychosocial Well-Being

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Abstract
Using national survey data, this article examines gender differences in the relationships of marital status and of marital quality to psychosocial well-being in order to test hypotheses that the former is more important for the well-being of men and the latter is more crucial for the well-being of women. Findings suggest that it is the quality of marital interaction rather than marriage per se that is more important for individual well-being, and that the effects of marital quality are stronger among women than among men. Further examinations of the data find little support for the idea that the effects of marital quality on women's well-being are due to their greater reliance on marriage for self-validation or to a lack of alternate sources of role gratification in comparison with men. The possibility that women's higher expectations for intimacy and emotional support within marriage are implicated in findings of gender differences in the effects of marital quality on well-being are discussed.

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