Political Difference in Marriage: Wife’s Gender Linked Fate and Relational Conflict

Increasing political polarization and growing animus toward outgroup members may strain marriages in which spouses express differences. For heterosexual married couples, interrelationships among gender, power, conflict be of particular importance. The purpose this study was to examine spouses’ conflicts over differences as a function wives’ endorsement gender-linked fate. Married, women completed an online survey. Results demonstrate that large part, the effect fate on reported behaviors during disagreements varies basis husbands’ party affiliation. Among men who more strongly identify Republican, greater associates with pursuit conflict, competitive tactics, volatility asymmetry couple patterns. When Democratic-leaning husbands, submissiveness conflicts.