Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of relationship status (i.e., cohabiting or married), gender, and parental status on perceptions about intimate partner obligations. In vignettes depicting various aspects of couple relationships, we measured the effects of relationship status, gender, and parental status on partner obligations, obtaining quantitative and qualitative data. Married couples were perceived to have greater obligations to one another than cohabitors when issues involved potential relationship transitions. Women were perceived to be more obligated than men to support a partner's career change. Open-ended responses indicated that marriage is an important factor in shaping perceived intimate partner obligations, but love, commitment, and intimacy also are important in motivating relationship-enhancing behaviors.
Department
Family Studies
Publication Date
7-8-2016
Journal Title
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Publisher
Sage
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Ganong, L., Jamison, T., & Chapman, A. (2016). Assessing differences in intimate partner obligations based on relationship status, gender, and parental status. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 33(7), 867-891. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407515605665
Rights
© The Author(s) 2015.
Comments
This is a preprint of an article published by Sage in Journal of Social and Personal Relationships in 2016, the Version of Record is available online: https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407515605665