Is unit cohesion a double-edged sword? A moderated mediation model of combat exposure, work stressors, and marital satisfaction
- Frye-Cox, N., Lucier-Greer, M., O’Neal, C. W., & Richardson, E. W. (2024). Is unit cohesion a double-edged sword? A moderated mediation model of combat exposure, work stressors, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 41(10), 2824-2843. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241255391
- The stress process perspective posits that stress can accumulate over time, spill into other areas of life, and be minimized when meaningful support is available. This study examined whether Soldiers’ previous combat exposure – a salient stressor – was linked to current work stress, and, in turn, to marital satisfaction; and whether stress manifested differently for Soldiers with the possible relational support of high unit cohesion. Cross-sectional data were drawn from the All-Army Study of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). 1,122 married Soldiers self-reported the intensity of combat exposure from their most recent deployment, as well as current work performance stress (i.e., performance issues, personal misconduct), marital satisfaction, and unit cohesion. As expected, high unit cohesion played a buffering role, but only in the association between combat exposure and work performance stress.
- Guided by the stress process perspective, this study examined if combat exposure was indirectly associated with marital satisfaction through work performance stress. Additionally, we tested whether unit cohesion served as a moderator of this indirect effect. Data were drawn from 1,122 married Soldiers who participated in the All-Army Study component of the Army STARRS study, a probabilistic sample of Army Soldiers. Indicative of stress proliferation and spillover, our results showed that combat exposure may negatively impact marital satisfaction through work performance stress, but the pathways of this indirect effect varied as a function of unit cohesion. Consistent with the stress buffering hypothesis, unit cohesion buffered the positive association between combat exposure and work performance stress for Soldiers reporting higher levels unit cohesion, such that this association was no longer statistically significant. However, for Soldiers reporting higher levels of unit cohesion, the negative association between work performance stress and martial satisfaction was exacerbated but was not statistically significant for those reporting lower levels of unit cohesion. The results underscore the importance of understanding the contextual nature of relational resources within the stress process framework.
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