Stress, Communication, and Marital Quality in Couples

• Author: Thomas Ledermann,Thomas N. Bradbury,Myriam Rudaz,Guy Bodenmann
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00595.x
• Published date: 01 April 2010
• Date: 01 April 2010

THOMAS LEDERMANN University of Connecticut

GUY BODENMANN University of Zurich, Switzerland*

MYRIAM RUDAZ University of Connecticut**

THOMAS N. BRADBURY University of California, Los Angeles***

Stress, Communication, and Marital Quality

in Couples

The association between daily stress outside and

inside of the relationship and marital functioning

in the form of communication in conflict

situations and marital quality was examined. We

hypothesized that relationship stress mediates

the association between external stress and

marital functioning at the individual level, and

that the association between relationship stress

and marital quality is partially mediated by

communication at the dyadic level. Using the

Actor-Partner Interdependence and Common

Fate Model, the results of 345 couples supported

our hypotheses and revealed that a person’s

relationship stress is more strongly related

with one’s own external stress than with the

partner’s external stress. The findings indicate

that both low relationship stress and a high

level of positive communication are important

in relationships.

Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut,

Storrs, CT 06269-1020 (thomas.ledermann@uconn.edu)

*Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050

Zurich, Switzerland.

**Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut,

Storrs, CT 06269-1020.

***Department of Psychology, University of California, Los

Angeles, CA 90095-1563.

Key Words: APIM, CFM, communication, marital quality,

mediation, stress.

The quality of intimate relationships is likely to

be influenced by both context and intradyadic

factors. The marital stress model by Boden-

mann (2000; see also Bodenmann, Ledermann,

& Bradbury, 2007), for example, posits that

stress affects relationship outcomes directly and

indirectly through the quality of marital commu-

nication, the spouses’ psychological and physi-

ological well-being, and the time spouses spend

together. Likewise, Karney and Bradbury (1995)

highlighted the role of spouses’ capabilities to

adapt to stressful circumstances (e.g., ability to

support each other), which mediates the asso-

ciation between stress and marital quality. In

accordance with these theoretical approaches,

the model tested by Matthews, Conger, and

Wickrama (1996) suggests that work-family

conflict increases psychological distress, which,

in turn, affects marital quality indirectly through

marital interaction. All three models share the

assumption that the relation between stress and

marital outcomes is mediated by intradyadic

variables. The purpose of the present study is

to examine the interplay between self-perceived

stress, marital communication, and marital qual-

ity in heterosexual couples.

Empirical Background

A number of studies have shown that differ-

ent forms of stress, such as work stress or

Family Relations 59 (April 2010): 195 – 206 195

DOI:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00595.x