Link between Financial Management Behaviours and Quality of Relationship and Overall Life Satisfaction among Married and Cohabiting Couples: Insights from Application of Artificial Neural Networks

Abstract

Background: To explain the link between household finances and the quality of the relationship between married or cohabitating partners and their life satisfaction, the Family Stress Model (FSM) was used and placed within the theoretical framework of the Couples and Finances Theory (CFT). Methods: The measures used to examine the relationship between partners were the Financial Management Behaviour Scale, the Marriage Questionnaire (KDM-2) adapted to a version for cohabitating couples, The Shared Goals and Values Scale, Harsh Start-up Scale, and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). In order to find out the relationship between variables, artificial neural networks (ANN) were applied. The research was conducted on a sample of 500 couples living in Poland (384 married and 116 cohabitating couples). Results: The results indicate that overall life satisfaction is most influenced by fundamental, direct, current ways of dealing with the daily financial routine and by saving and investing behaviours. Credit management and insurance behaviours are the most important for the quality of the relationship between partners. Conclusions: The research shows that financial management behaviours have an impact on the quality of relationships as well as on the subjective well-being of people in a relationship, and their relationship dynamics. This finding may be used to highlight the psychological importance of financial management behaviours.