Relationship Maintenance Behaviors, Economic Factors, and Relationship Satisfaction: Investigating Trajectories, Direct Effects, and Moderating Effects

Economic factors can have a negative impact on relationship functioning. As such, there is a need to assess how economic factors influence relationship satisfaction and the relationship processes that could potentially mitigate these effects. To that end, the study aims were to (1) examine the trajectories of maintenance behaviors (e.g., sacrifice and dyadic coping), economic factors (income and perceived economic deprivation), and relationship satisfaction; (2) analyze the predictive associations between economic factors and relationship satisfaction; and (3) investigate whether maintenance behaviors moderate the associations between economic factors and relationship satisfaction. Data from the pairfam dataset were used to analyze 1064 partnered participants from waves 1, 3, 5, and 7 using latent growth curve modeling. Results suggested that maintenance behaviors and relationship satisfaction decreased over time, while income increased over time. Though economic variables negatively predicted relationship satisfaction, dyadic coping moderated the association between perceived economic deprivation and relationship satisfaction.