title: Spousal characteristics as predictors of well-being in older couples.
abstract: This study examined the relations between spousal variables and the psychological well-being of husbands and wives in older couples to determine if spousal characteristics were more important determinants of well-being for wives than for husbands. One hundred-twenty older married men and women completed standardized self-report measures and a short interview. The variables investigated included education, verbal intelligence, personality, physical health, marital adjustment, psychological well-being, as well as response bias to marital defensiveness. Spousal variables significantly predicted wives' well-being (R2 = 29%) with the three most influential predictor variables being the husbands' perception of the marriage, positive dimension of well-being and physical health. In contrast, spousal variables did not significantly predict husbands' well-being. The study supported the hypothesis of differential responsiveness of men and women to spousal variables and highlighted the importance of marital adjustment for the psychological well-being of older wives.
authors.affiliation: Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quirouette
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010551:Personality