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Predicting Husbands' and Wives' Retirement Satisfaction from the Emotional Qualities of Marital Interaction

Robert W. Levenson

Rachel Ebling

University of California, Berkeley

Retirement satisfaction was predicted from the emotional qualities of pre-retirement marital interaction in 49 male (M _age = 63) and 31 female (M _age = 61) retirees. In 1989, we measured physiological, behavioral, and subjective aspects of emotion while spouses discussed a conflict in their marriage. Five years later, we assessed retirement satisfaction for spouses who had retired in the intervening period. Husbands who were physiologically relaxed and affectively positive during marital interaction were happier in their subsequent retirements. Wives' retirement satisfaction was not predicted by the emotional qualities of marital interaction.

Key Words: emotion • long-term marriage • marital interaction • retirement satisfaction

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 20, No. 3, 335-354 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0265407503020003004


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