Gender and marital burnout within four countries: Examining the effects of conflict negotiation styles

Men and women perceive marital burnout differently, and what triggers marital burnout may further differ with national context. This cross-national study examined how individuals’ conflict negotiation styles may mediate the relationship between gender and marital burnout. We analyzed survey data from 793 participants (Germans, N = 221; Indians, N = 175; Nigerians, N = 192; and South Africans, N = 205) using parallel mediation analyses via four negotiation styles ( yielding, avoiding, compromising, and problem-solving ). Our findings show that women experienced more marital burnout compared to men in the two African countries (Nigeria and South Africa) but not in Germany or India. Further, in Germany, India, and South Africa, men used avoiding more than women, and German and South African men also used yielding more than women. Results further showed that problem-solving was negatively related to marital burnout in all countries. In Germany, yielding was negatively related to marital burnout, while avoiding (in Germany, India, and Nigeria) and compromising (only in Nigeria) were positively related to marital burnout. Three conflict negotiation styles, yielding, problem-solving , and avoiding , mediated the association between gender and marital burnout in Germany, but only avoiding was a significant mediator in India. No mediation of conflict negotiation styles was significant in either African country. We discuss the findings in context of social roles, financial, and cultural expectations in marital relationships across countries.