Who's Got the Power? Gender Differences in Partners’ Perceptions of Influence During Marital Problem‐Solving Discussions

Abstract

Previous research on marital communication indicates that women have more influence in marital problem solving because they raise the issues and shape the discussion. Other studies suggest that men have the power in marital problem solving. This study re-examines power and influence from the partners' point of view. Twenty-seven couples-18 with a first child under 2, and 9 undecided about having children-were videotaped while working on a self-selected problem concerning their division of family labor. Data sources included: (a) transcribed audiotaped accounts given by each partner while viewing a videotape of their problem-solving discussion; (b) self-report questionnaires; and (c) ratings by a research team of the concordance between spouses' accounts. Husbands and wives were perceived as having a primary influence on different aspects of the discussion. Women tended to raise the issues and draw men out in the early phase of the discussion, while men controlled the content and emotional depth of the later discussion phases, and largely determined the outcome. The women's accounts emphasized that their influence in the early phase was often illusory: their behavior was shaped primarily by the effort to choose strategies that would avoid upsetting their husbands. In terms of overall satisfaction with marriage, wives had greater tolerance than their husbands for conflict in the area of division of domestic labor, but less tolerance for their husbands' domination of the discussion process. Women's marital satisfaction was higher when there was concordance between spouses in their accounts of their problem-solving discussion. This research highlights the importance of eliciting spouses' own perceptions and definitions in understanding the impact of gender-linked power differences in martial communication.

Conflict Resolution and Relational Patterns in the Families of Origin of Women and Men

“…for women, this strategy may take the form of more direct communication, more openness and a stronger need to share thoughts and feelings: the same reasons they first brought attention to the existence of the problem or difficulties. men, on the other hand, may be more inclined to effectively resolve the problem, owing to a greater ability to separate emotion from the cognitive sphere, concentration and a task approach to the problem (Blum, 2000;Brannon, 2002): the same reasons that the decision about the ultimately adopted solution often belongs to men (Bell, Cowan, & Cowan, 1995).…”

“…according to studies conducted by Bell, Cowan and Cowan (1995), women first indicate the problem to be resolved, however the decision as to which solution will ultimately be decided upon belongs more to the man. an equal influence on the course of the discussion carries more importance for women.…”

Indigenous Fathers' Involvement in Reconstituting “Circles of Care”

“…In various ways, across all of the interviews, fathers were asked to share their experiences and explanations of the extent and nature of their involvement with their children, any co-parenting arrangements, how they were learning to be a father, supports for fathering, the impacts of their fathering on their community, and any changes they perceived in their communities with regards to fathering. Following the grounded theory approach originated by Glaser and Strauss (1965) and see also Glaser (1978) and demonstrated in family interaction research by the author (Ball 1984;Ball et al 1995), data collection and analysis were concurrent. Interview questions underwent four successive modifications to follow fathers' leads about meaningful dimensions of inquiry.…”

Fathering in the Shadows: Indigenous Fathers and Canada's Colonial Legacies

“…Details of the research ethics and community-based research processes are described elsewhere (Ball & Janyst, 2008 Data analysis. Analysis of the interview transcripts used the grounded theory approach elaborated by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and previously demonstrated in family interaction research by the author and colleagues (Ball, Cowan, & Cowan, 1995). The author and Indigenous team members worked from line-by-line coding and theoretical memos to construct a conceptual framework that represented recurrent themes in fathers'…”