Social Role Theory, the Marital Relationship, and Use of Ovulation Suppressors

Abstract

In an attempt to reformulate a social role theory factors determining whether or not a couple would continue oral contraceptive use were studied intensively in 39 couples followed for 4 years. The family is interpreted as a social institution that allows sexual gratification with limited biological reproduction. Choice of contraception is thought to reflect basic husband-wife dynamics. 15 couples continuing pill use over the study period were compared to 9 couples discontinuing during this time without the intention of pregnancy. Although most women in the study experienced side-effects severity of physiological discomfort due to the pill was not an important determinant in continuation of oral contraceptive use. Personality variables (i.e. characteristics of wives and of husbands) were found to be effective predictors of pill continuation. The best single differentiator of who will continue the pill was a composite measure which took systematic account of the relative social role dominance of husband or wife the relative gain to be expected from contraception and specific past social role behavior. Traditional social role theory that people behave according to the dictates of specific role demands is not supported by the study. Instead results strongly supported the inference: (1) that social role demands constitute bounding conditions which social role occupants cannot violate without risking loss of their role status and the privileges that are inherent in that status; (2) that specific role behavior is determined more by the individual motivations and characteristics of the role occupants than by the role demands per se; and (3) that individual behavior is acceptable within a given social role until it is systematically demonstrated to violate the bounding conditions for role occupancy.