PREDICTORS OF INCREASES IN MARITAL DISTRESS IN NEWLYWED COUPLES - A 3-YEAR PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

Predictors of increases in marital distress over the first 3 years of marriage were identified for husbands and wives of 310 couples. Using Year 1 variables as predictors, linear increases in marital distress over 3 years for husbands were predicted by few years of education, few months of living together, and not pooling finances. For wives, the Year 1 predictors were few years of education, low income, living with stepchildren on a full- or part-time basis, many rewards, few costs, not pooling finances, and high emotional investment. Linear increases in marital distress were related to linear changes in both contextual and investment model variables for both spouses.