Perceptions of Equity and Sex-Role Attitudes in Married Couples

Abstract

　This study was designed to test the applicability of equity theory to marital relationships. Questionnaires were administered to middle-aged wives. They assessed equity/inequity in their marital relationships. Measures of their contentment/distress with the relationships and their marital stability were also taken. Furthermore, they completed Attitudes Toward Women Scale (Spence ＆ Helmreich, 1978).

　The main results are as follows:

　1) Perceptions of equity were accompanied with three kinds of moods, labeled as "contentment," "anger," and "guilt."

　2) Wives who felt themselves equitably treated were more content and perceived their relationships to be more stable than those who felt themselves inequitably treated.

　3) Wives with traditional sex-role attitudes were more sensitive to equity/inequity of the relationships than those with nontraditional attitudes.