出刊年月/Date of Publishing

2003.12

所屬卷期/Vol. & No.   第33卷第4期 Vol. 33, No. 4

類型/Type                 研究論文 Research Article

篇名/Title
Commitment to Marital Relationships—The Case of American Newlyweds
對婚姻關係的承諾——以美國新婚夫妻為例

作者/Author
蕭英玲 Ying-Ling Hsiao

頁碼/Pagination
pp. 711-755

摘要
本研究以社會交換理論的論點來解釋維持婚姻承諾的原因及其所帶來的影響。文中以結構方程式模型分析1991至1993年於美國華盛頓州連續進行三年研究中的第一波資料，探討278對新婚夫妻之互動關係。結果顯示，受訪者若是夫妻間相互依賴的程度高或高度仰賴另一半，則對其婚姻關係的承諾及依戀亦高，進而較會採取正面的溝通模式，以化解夫妻間的歧見。也就是說，當個人在婚姻關係中所控制的資源越少，仰賴配偶的程度越高時，則對婚姻的承諾感越強，產生婚姻衝突的機會也越少。本研究亦檢視夫妻依賴婚姻關係的來源，結果顯示，美國新婚夫妻較注重情感及人際特質而非社會經濟資源。

Abstract
Why do people feel committed and choose to remain in marriage? Using social exchange perspectives, we developed and tested a model that explains the processes and consequences of marital commitment. We used data from a sample of 278 newly married couples, drawn from the first wave of a three-year panel study during 1991-1993 conducted in the state of Washington. A structural equation model was used to evaluate a model that explains the impact of power/dependence on marital commitment and the effect of marital commitment on marital interaction. The findings reported here indicate that a high mutual dependence (average power) and an inequitable distribution of resources (lack of power advantage) promote people’s feelings of cohesion and attachment, which, in turn, induce positive communication styles in solving disagreements. These findings suggest that the fewer valued resources a couple has access to and the more feelings of commitment they feel, the less likely that the couple would engage in a high level of marital conflict.

This study also identified sources for dependence by examining the various types of resources in marital couples’ evaluation systems. The findings showed that newly-married couples placed more value on affection (e.g., liking), and interpersonal status characteristics and skills (e.g., understanding) than on socioeconomic resources. Since marriage in America has been viewed as a path for personal fulfillment and satisfaction, and as educational and occupational opportunities have increased for young women, newlyweds seem to value satisfaction derived from intimacy rather than socioeconomic resources.

關鍵字/Key Word
依賴、婚姻承諾、美國新婚夫妻
dependence, marital commitment, American newlyweds

DOI
--

學門分類/Subject
社會學 Sociology