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Financial Wellness and Relationship Satisfaction: Does Communication Mediate?
Author(s) -
Wilmarth Melissa J.,
Nielsen Robert B.,
Futris Ted G.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
family and consumer sciences research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 1077-727X
DOI - 10.1111/fcsr.12092
Subject(s) - mediation , structural equation modeling , positive relationship , path analysis (statistics) , psychology , social exchange theory , sample (material) , association (psychology) , social psychology , finance , developmental psychology , business , sociology , social science , statistics , chemistry , mathematics , chromatography , psychotherapist
This research investigated if married couples' positive and negative communication patterns mediate the association between financial wellness and relationship satisfaction. Data were collected from married individuals in a southern state in 2007 ( N = 515) and 2011 ( N = 489). Guided by social exchange theory, structural equation models isolated the mediating effects of positive and negative communication patterns. In concert with a consistent and positive direct path from financial wellness to relationship satisfaction, financial wellness was positively associated with positive communication patterns and negatively associated with negative communication patterns. Although a mediating role for positive communication was not identified, negative communication patterns indicated full mediation with the 2007 sample and partial mediation with the 2011 sample. Implications for understanding the effects of finances and couple communication processes on relationship satisfaction are discussed.