wife's adultery and sexual incompatibility with the 1:2 and 1:3 contrast significant.Hus- (husbands nominated these more frequently). band's cruelty is concentrated in period 1,and the contrast between this and all other onset periods is Perceived Onset of the Breakdown significant. Both men and women,but particularly women, perceived the marriage as beginning to break Socioeconomic Status down early.Fifteen percent of the wives dated the SES also was significantly associated with per- onset of breakdown within the first three months ceived causes of breakdown (F 1.59,df= of marriage.Most couples,however,did not sepa- 16,272,p =.023),the two significant contribut- rate until much later (Figure).The sex difference ing causes being husband's drinking (p =.011) is highly significant (F=2.47,df=16,319,p< and husband's cruelty (p<.000).The relation- .001). ship is an inverse one.Only 170 of women mar- Were particular problems associated with ried to men in higher professional or managerial earlier or later recognition that the marriage was occupations complained about alcohol,whereas failing?Table 2(column 3)shows that they were 70%%of women married to unskilled men and all (multivariate F 2.47,df=16,319,p<.000). women whose husbands were unemployed or re- The univariate analyses show that five causes are tired made this complaint.The trends are vaguer associated with particular breakdown periods: among the smaller number of men (13)who saw husband's drinking (p <.000),husband's cruelty their own drinking as a problem,but none of (p<.000),sexual incompatibility (p =.004),dis- these were in the two top-SES categories.Com- agreements over children (p =.014),and an plaints of husband's cruelty were most common “other woman”(p<.032).Mean values(Table among wives of men in the semiskilled(470%)un- 3)indicate that complaints of sexual incompatibil- skilled (57%)and unemployed/retired categories ity rise from a high base in onset period 1 (0-12 (50%).(It should be borne in mind that cruelty months)to a peak in period 3(6-10 years),fol- was self-defined by respondents and included be- lowed by a sharp decline in period 4(11+years). haviors other than physical cruelty.There was The contrast between periods 1:4 and 3:4 was sig- also a relationship between SES and perceived nificant beyond the.05 level.The "other onset of the breakdown,with semiskilled and un- woman"'cause rises steadily from period 1 skilled men being particularly likely to attribute through to period 4,with the gains from 1:3 and the breakdown to their wife's adultery in the 1:4 being significant.Disagreements over children period between 2 and 10 years after marriage. are concentrated in period 2(2-5 years),but only the contrast between periods 2:4 is significant. Religion Husband's drinking is most commonly mentioned The multivariate F value for respondent's reli- by those who nominate onset periods 1 and 4, gion is not significant,but there is a trend towards significance with respect to two causes,husband's lack of time at home (p=.024)and husband's FIGURE.PERCEIVED ONSET OF BREAKDOWN drinking (p =.041).In both cases the complaint AND TIME TO SEPARATION was most common among Roman Catholics and least common among those with no religious affil- Per Cent iation.When the sample is divided by sex,it 40 -----Onset Women emerges that religious beliefs have an opposite ef- -Onset Men fect on men and women with respect to sexual Time to Separation complaints (p =.003).Women with no religious 30 affiliation were particularly likely to see sexual in- compatibility as a cause of the marriage break- down,whereas it was the men with a religious af- filiation (of any kind)who were likely to make 20 this attribution.Spouses'religion was not a sig- nificant influence,although the univariate values show that lack of communication is somewhat 10 more commonly complained of by those with a Roman Catholic spouse,least by those with one of no religious affiliation (p =.049).The interac- tion between spouse's religion and sex of respon- dent,however,is highly significant (F=1.79, 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years 15 Years 20+Years df=16,306,p =.005),and four complaints 554 JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY August 1984 This content downloaded from 211.80.94.134 on Mon,19 Dec 2016 05:27:55 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/termswife's adultery and sexual incompatibility (husbands nominated these more frequently). Perceived Onset of the Breakdown Both men and women, but particularly women, perceived the marriage as beginning to break down early. Fifteen percent of the wives dated the onset of breakdown within the first three months of marriage. Most couples, however, did not sepa- rate until much later (Figure). The sex difference is highly significant (F = 2.47, df = 16,319, p < .001). Were particular problems associated with earlier or later recognition that the marriage was failing? Table 2 (column 3) shows that they were (multivariate F = 2.47, df = 16,319, p < .000). The univariate analyses show that five causes are associated with particular breakdown periods: husband's drinking (p < .000), husband's cruelty (p < .000), sexual incompatibility (p = .004), dis- agreements over children (p = .014), and an "other woman" (p < .032). Mean values (Table 3) indicate that complaints of sexual incompatibil- ity rise from a high base in onset period 1 (0-12 months) to a peak in period 3 (6-10 years), fol- lowed by a sharp decline in period 4 (11 + years). The contrast between periods 1:4 and 3:4 was sig- nificant beyond the .05 level. The "other woman" cause rises steadily from period 1 through to period 4, with the gains from 1:3 and 1:4 being significant. Disagreements over children are concentrated in period 2 (2-5 years), but only the contrast between periods 2:4 is significant. Husband's drinking is most commonly mentioned by those who nominate onset periods 1 and 4, FIGURE. PERCEIVED ONSET OF BREAKDOWN AND TIME TO SEPARATION Per Cent 40 - -- Onse Onse - - Time 30 - 20 - 10 - \ K\ J 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years 15 YE t Women t Men to Separation i ears 20+ Years with the 1:2 and 1:3 contrast significant. Hus- band's cruelty is concentrated in period 1, and the contrast between this and all other onset periods is significant. Socioeconomic Status SES also was significantly associated with per- ceived causes of breakdown (F = 1.59, df = 16,272, p = .023), the two significant contribut- ing causes being husband's drinking (p = .011) and husband's cruelty (p < .000). The relation- ship is an inverse one. Only 17070 of women mar- ried to men in higher professional or managerial occupations complained about alcohol, whereas 700% of women married to unskilled men and all women whose husbands were unemployed or re- tired made this complaint. The trends are vaguer among the smaller number of men (13) who saw their own drinking as a problem, but none of these were in the two top-SES categories. Com- plaints of husband's cruelty were most common among wives of men in the semiskilled (47%0) un- skilled (57%0) and unemployed/retired categories (500o). (It should be borne in mind that cruelty was self-defined by respondents and included be- haviors other than physical cruelty.) There was also a relationship between SES and perceived onset of the breakdown, with semiskilled and un- skilled men being particularly likely to attribute the breakdown to their wife's adultery in the period between 2 and 10 years after marriage. Religion The multivariate F value for respondent's reli- gion is not significant, but there is a trend towards significance with respect to two causes, husband's lack of time at home (p = .024) and husband's drinking (p = .041). In both cases the complaint was most common among Roman Catholics and least common among those with no religious affil- iation. When the sample is divided by sex, it emerges that religious beliefs have an opposite ef- fect on men and women with respect to sexual complaints (p = .003). Women with no religious affiliation were particularly likely to see sexual in- compatibility as a cause of the marriage break- down, whereas it was the men with a religious af- filiation (of any kind) who were likely to make this attribution. Spouses' religion was not, a sig- nificant influence, although the univariate values show that lack of communication is somewhat more commonly complained of by those with a Roman Catholic spouse, least by those with one of no religious affiliation (p = .049). The interac- tion between spouse's religion and sex of respon- dent, however, is highly significant (F = 1.79, df = 16,306, p = .005), and four complaints 554 JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY August 1984 This content downloaded from 211.80.94.134 on Mon, 19 Dec 2016 05:27:55 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms