Acknowledging the Elephant in the Room: How Stressful Environmental Contexts Shape Relationship Dynamics

Compared to affluent marriages, lower income marriages develop within a context filled with negative stressors that may prove quite toxic for marital stability. The current paper argues that stressful contexts may undermine marital well-being through two routes. First, external stressors create addi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current opinion in psychology 2017-02, Vol.13, p.107-110
Main Authors: Neff, Lisa A, Karney, Benjamin R
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Compared to affluent marriages, lower income marriages develop within a context filled with negative stressors that may prove quite toxic for marital stability. The current paper argues that stressful contexts may undermine marital well-being through two routes. First, external stressors create additional problems within the marriage by diverting time and attention away from activities that promote intimacy between partners. Second, external stress may render spouses ill-equipped to cope with this increase in problems by draining spouses of the energy and resources necessary for responding to marital challenges in a constructive manner. In acknowledging the role of the marital context for relationship dynamics, this model suggests new directions for interventions designed to strengthen the marriages of lower income couples.
ISSN:2352-250X
2352-250X
DOI:10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.05.013