contagion of stress across multiple roles

Previous research on multiple role stress has hypothesized the existence of two types of stress contagion: spillover, in which the stresses experienced in either the work or home domain lead to stresses in the other domain; and crossover, in which the stresses experienced by one's spouse at wor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marriage and family 1989-02, Vol.51 (1), p.175-183
Main Authors: Bolger, N, DeLongis, A, Kessler, R.C, Wethington, E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Couples
Crossovers
Families & family life
family relations
Family Work Relationship
Gender roles
Home based employment
home stress
Housekeeping
Husbands
Job stress
Marital Relations
marital relationships
Marriage
Men
Of General Interest
Psychological Stress
Role Conflict
roles
Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations
Social research
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Spouses
Stress
stress crossover
stress spillover
Wives
work stress
Workplaces
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Summary:Previous research on multiple role stress has hypothesized the existence of two types of stress contagion: spillover, in which the stresses experienced in either the work or home domain lead to stresses in the other domain; and crossover, in which the stresses experienced by one's spouse at work lead to stresses for oneself at home. However, empirical evidence of these processes has been largely indirect and qualitative. This study provides the first direct quantitative evidence on the causal dynamics of stress contagion across work and home domains in married couples. Contrary to previous thinking, results indicate that husbands are more likely than their wives to bring their home stresses into the workplace. Also, stress contagion from work to home was evident for both husbands and wives. Furthermore, the contagion of work stress into the home sets in motion a process of dyadic adjustment, whereby individuals, particularly wives, appear to modify their housework efforts to compensate for the work stresses of their spouses. Such findings provide important insights into the dynamics of gender differences in role stress and confirm the value of studying chronic stress processes at the level of analysis where such stresses are inevitably manifest—in day-to-day events and activities.
ISSN:0022-2445
1741-3737
DOI:10.2307/352378