Financial Stress and Perceptions of Spousal Behavior Over Time in Remarriages

Abstract

Remarriages tend to be more vulnerable to dissolution than first marriages due to the unique challenges these unions face, one of which is remarried couples’ financial stress. Financial stress predicts lower marital satisfaction, increased conflict, and a higher risk of divorce among first marriages, but less is known about financial stress influences and relational processes within remarital contexts. This study applied the family adjustment and adaptation response (FAAR) model to examine whether early financial stress has a direct effect on the perceptions spouses hold toward partner behavior in the areas of positive and negative behaviors and initiation of sexual advances over time, and whether such perceptions mediate the effect of early financial stress on perceived martial stability within remarital contexts. Data were gathered on 808 remarried couples. A dyadic indicator-specific growth model (ISGM) was estimated for perceptions of positive behavior, negative behavior, and sexual initiation. The ISGM served as a mediator between financial distress and marital instability. Results indicated that financial stress is a predictor of initial levels of husbands’ perceptions. Financial stress also predicted wives’ initial amount of perceived positive and negative behavior, but not sexual initiation. Financial stress was not a predictor of change over time for any perceptions. Mediation effects of financial stress on marital instability were supported through wives’ initial amount of perceived positive and negative behavior. Findings and implications are discussed in relation to the key tenets of the FAAR model and possible interventions.