Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of Marriage

In early marriage, couples are intricately tied to their social networks and are influenced by important connections, social interactions, and socialization processes within those networks. Most of the research on the links between social networks and marital processes has focused on the positive ef...

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Main Authors: Pamela B. Trotter, Terri L. Orbuch, M. Rosie Shrout
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology 2019-12-01
Series:Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ijpr.psychopen.eu/article/view/362
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author Pamela B. Trotter
Terri L. Orbuch
M. Rosie Shrout
author_facet Pamela B. Trotter
Terri L. Orbuch
M. Rosie Shrout
author_sort Pamela B. Trotter
collection DOAJ
description In early marriage, couples are intricately tied to their social networks and are influenced by important connections, social interactions, and socialization processes within those networks. Most of the research on the links between social networks and marital processes has focused on the positive effects or support married couples receive from their friends and family. The present study examined the links between perceptions of interference from family and friends and newlyweds’ reports of marital well-being in the early years of marriage. The contexts of both gender and race were explored to gain a better understanding of how interference from family and friends might be linked to marital well-being. Data from Black American and White American couples in their early years of marriage were analyzed. The findings revealed that perceptions of interference from friends were negatively associated with marital well-being for both Black American and White American wives. Husbands’ perceptions of interference from their wives’ friends were negatively linked to marital well-being, but only for Black American husbands. We offer several explanations for the differential links between perceptions of interference and marital well-being, including the role of relationships in self-identity and the negative spillover effect of external stressors.
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spelling doaj.art-28eb1103b28d42b3a6292889a8547de92023-01-02T12:25:09ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyInterpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships1981-64722019-12-0113222023610.5964/ijpr.v13i2.362ijpr.v13i2.362Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of MarriagePamela B. Trotter0Terri L. Orbuch1M. Rosie Shrout2Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USAOakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USAThe Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USAIn early marriage, couples are intricately tied to their social networks and are influenced by important connections, social interactions, and socialization processes within those networks. Most of the research on the links between social networks and marital processes has focused on the positive effects or support married couples receive from their friends and family. The present study examined the links between perceptions of interference from family and friends and newlyweds’ reports of marital well-being in the early years of marriage. The contexts of both gender and race were explored to gain a better understanding of how interference from family and friends might be linked to marital well-being. Data from Black American and White American couples in their early years of marriage were analyzed. The findings revealed that perceptions of interference from friends were negatively associated with marital well-being for both Black American and White American wives. Husbands’ perceptions of interference from their wives’ friends were negatively linked to marital well-being, but only for Black American husbands. We offer several explanations for the differential links between perceptions of interference and marital well-being, including the role of relationships in self-identity and the negative spillover effect of external stressors.http://ijpr.psychopen.eu/article/view/362networksmarital well-beinggenderrace
spellingShingle Pamela B. Trotter
Terri L. Orbuch
M. Rosie Shrout
Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of Marriage
Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships
networks
marital well-being
gender
race
title Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of Marriage
title_full Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of Marriage
title_fullStr Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of Marriage
title_full_unstemmed Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of Marriage
title_short Spouses’ Perceptions of Network Interference in the Early Years of Marriage
title_sort spouses perceptions of network interference in the early years of marriage
topic networks
marital well-being
gender
race
url http://ijpr.psychopen.eu/article/view/362
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