An investigation of role processes in military couples: Family work and couple finances
APA Citation:
Peterson, C. T. (2024). An investigation of role processes in military couples: Family work and couple finances [PhD, University of Georgia]. https://esploro.libs.uga.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/AN-INVESTIGATION-OF-ROLE-PROCESSES-IN/9949644529802959
Focus:
Couples
Branch of Service:
Army
Air Force
Multiple branches
Military Affiliation:
Active Duty
Subject Affiliation:
Active duty service member
Spouse of service member or veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Methodology:
Quantitative Study
Authors:
Peterson, Clairee T.
Abstract:
There are currently about 1.3 million active duty service members living in the United States, about 50% of whom are in couple relationships. Military couples, like all couples, function as a family system, with distinct roles that support family functioning. However, living in the military context exposes military couples to repeated transitions and separations that may influence their normative role processes. Grounded in the vulnerability stress adaptation model (VSAM) (Karney & Bradbury, 1995), the aim of this dissertation was to investigate military couples’ role processes in two distinct, but related domains of family life: Family work and couple finances. Study One used a sample of N=228 military couples and a latent profile analysis to identify unique groupings of military couples with distinct family work patterns based on both partners’ reported participation in parenting work and emotion work. Following this, variation in couples’ military and demographic characteristics were examined between the profiles, as was variation in couples’ individual and relational functioning. The results indicated that the profile in which military couples performed higher levels of emotion work had higher individual and relational functioning, whereas military couples who performed lower levels of emotion work tended to have lower individual and relational functioning. Study Two used a sample of N=1,480 service members and a latent moderation analysis to examine associations between service members’ financial anxiety, shared financial decision-making, agreement on spending and their relationship outcomes, as well as if shared financial decision-making and agreement on spending moderated the associations between service members’ financial anxiety and their relationship outcomes. Service members’ shared financial decision-making and agreement on spending were associated with better relationship outcomes, and agreement on spending moderated the association between financial anxiety and relationship satisfaction. The results of both studies indicated that when both partners of military couples participate in family work and couple finances at higher levels, their couple relationships may benefit. Together, these studies advance our knowledge on military couples’ role processes, and inform interventions for military couples’ family work and couple finances.
Publisher/Sponsoring Organization:
University of Georgia
Publication Type:
Dissertations & Theses
Keywords:
military couples, military context, couple roles, couple relationships