2012 Volume 26 Issue 1 Pages 1-12
The purpose of this study was to illustrate how marital relationship in middle to old period and the influence of marital relationship on psychological well-being changed in the period before and after the husband's mandatory retirement. In the study, 235 married couples in their 50's through 70's were asked the level of satisfaction with marital relationship, psychological wellbeing, physical health, and income. Results showed the following. First, both husbands and wives indicated that there was a quantitative increase in all parameters for a good marital relationship; the amount of husband and wife communication, joint activities, and the husband’s share of the housework except the frequency of sexual intercourse after the mandatory retirement. Second, these parameters except the frequency of sexual intercourse influenced the level of marital satisfaction both before and after the retirement. Third, although these parameters had a strong influence on the level of marital satisfaction, the satisfaction had no influence on the psychological well-being of husbands after the retirement. The marital relationship after the husband's mandatory retirement was discussed in term of gender.
