The dyadic context of safety: An examination of safety motivation, behavior, and life satisfaction among farm couples

Abstract

The current study sought to address two gaps within the safety literature by (1) examining the dyadic context of safety motivation and safety behavior and (2) focusing on a psychological outcome of safety behavior – life satisfaction. Crossover theory was used as a framework to examine direct and mediated relationships among a sample of 217 married farm couples. Specifically, husbands’ and wives’ safety motivation were tested as predictors of husband safety behavior. Furthermore, husband safety behavior and wives’ perception of husbands’ safety behavior were examined as predictors of life satisfaction. Results indicated that wives’ safety motivation contributed to husbands’ safety behavior indirectly via husbands’ own safety motivation. Additionally, husband safety behavior significantly predicted personal life satisfaction and also contributed to spousal life satisfaction indirectly via wives’ perceptions. Overall, findings suggest the importance of considering both partners’ attitudes when examining antecedents and outcomes related to safety behavior among closely related individuals. Implications of these findings, as well as directions for future research are discussed.