Helping Dual-Earner Couples Manage Work–Partner Interferences: A Program Evaluation

Abstract

This study explored the effectiveness and informed further development of a brief intervention designed to teach couples strategies for managing interferences from work to their romantic relationship. A pretest/posttest design with a control group measured the impact of the intervention on married couples’ work–partner balance skills and strategies and their relationship satisfaction. Couples in the intervention group improved in areas of work–partner balance compared with the control group, but there was no difference in relationship satisfaction between groups. The program was most effective for women. Based on these findings, we discuss program strengths, areas for improvement, and future directions for work–partner management programming.

KEYWORDS:

• conflict and spillovers
• dual-earner couples
• interferences
• program development
• program evaluation
• relationship education
• relationship satisfaction
• work–partner management

Notes

Response scale for measures was 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often, 4 = most of the time; items 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, and 16 were reverse coded.

Note: Superscripts represent significant mean differences within rows that exist between the group in that column and those groups identified in the superscripts, at the p < .05 level.

^a  = female control group,.

^b  = male control group,.

^c  = female intervention group,.

^d  = male intervention group.