AN EXAMINATION OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE, LISTENING SATISFACTION, AND RELATIONSHIP DISSOLUTION AMONG MARITAL AND COHABITING COUPLES

Abstract

The high demands placed from a society on individuals may impact the perceived work-life balance of individuals in cohabiting and married relationships. Work-life imbalances may lead to poor communication, which can impact the feelings of wanting to dissolve the relationship due to dissolutionment. Also, when partners are dissatisfied with the listening behavior in their relationship, this may lead to relationship dissolution. To examine the relationships between work-life balance, listening satisfaction, and relationship dissolution among cohabiting and marital couples, this study analyzed data from the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at the Bowling Green State University (2010). Instruments included the Marital Disillusionment Questionnaire and the Work-Family Conflict Scale. The study included 2,150 individuals, including 1,075 couples with 50% of females and 50% of males, and the average age of participants was 44. Correlation analyses results demonstrated differences among marital and cohabiting couples based on their listening satisfaction and relationship dissolution. Work-life balance was positively related to listening satisfaction, but inversely related to relationship dissolution. Independent t-test results also showed that cohabiting individuals reported higher listening satisfaction than did married individuals. However, married individuals reported being more dissolutioned with their relationship than did cohabiting individuals. Regression results indicated that work-life balance was positively related to listening satisfaction, and inversely related to relationship dissolution. Listening satisfaction partially mediated the inverse relationship between work-life balance and relationship dissolution. The type of relationship moderated the relationship between work-life balance and listening satisfaction, and the inverse relationship between work-life balance and relationship dissolution. Finally, duration of the relationship moderated the positive relationship between work-life balance and listening satisfaction. Findings offer insights on the relationships between work-life balance, listening satisfaction, and relationship dissolution in romantic relationships.