2 - (SYM 116) Income as a Moderator of Relationship Satisfaction Among Couples: A Replication and Extension

Socioeconomic status has long been conceptualized as a predictor of relationship well-being. Specifically, it has been argued that low SES couples are more likely to be negatively impacted by life stressors than higher SES partners (e.g., financial strain, poor mental health), contributing to relationship distress and dissolution. To support this hypothesis, many empirical studies have examined SES as a moderator of relationship processes. However, findings remained mixed. Whereas several studies suggest that low SES exacerbates the impact of stressors on relationship satisfaction, others have not found this effect. As such, there is a need to empirically clarify the role of SES in relationship outcomes.

The current study aimed to replicate and extend prior research by examining how SES (indexed as income) may moderate associations between (a) contextual stressors (financial strain, parental status), individual vulnerabilities (depression symptoms, subjective social status), and (b) relationship satisfaction among couples. Data were collected from cohabiting mixed- and same-gender couples who varied greatly in income (N=244 dyads). Partners completed self-report measures to assess the above areas of individual and relationship functioning. Couples were identified as “low-income” if their household income was less than 200% of the U.S. federal poverty level relative to their household size (N=106); couples above this limit were designated “higher-income” (N=138). A multi-group actor-partner interdependence model was used to test the effect of each partner’s stressors and vulnerabilities on their own and the other person’s relationship satisfaction regardless of income. Pathway differences were then examined between income groups.

Among all couples, more financial strain, depression symptoms, and children were each associated with lower relationship satisfaction within partners. Only one effect was significant between partners: An individual’s higher perceived social status was associated with higher relationship satisfaction in the other person. These paths were not moderated by income group, supporting previous research indicating that some relationship processes operate consistently across income levels. Thus, these findings suggest a universal experience across the SES ladder—that partners experience greater levels of satisfaction when they are unburdened by low mood, money concerns, and parenting stress, and believe they have good social standing relative to others in their community.