College Students' Perceptions of Employment-Based Marital Dyad Types

This study examined college students' perceptions of different marital dyads: head-complement, husband-as-senior-partner, equal-partner, wife-as-senior-partner. Data from 461 college students were collected using a person perception experiment within a self-administered questionnaire. Results include: the head-complement dyad was perceived as least stable, least fair for the wife and husband, least satisfying for the wife, and least acceptable. The husband-as-senior partner dyad was perceived as the dyad in which the husband was the most satisfied compared to the wife. The equal-partner dyad was perceived as most fair and satisfying for both spouses, and the most stable and acceptable/preferred dyad. The husband was perceived as the least satisfied compared to the wife in the wife-as-senior-partner dyad. There were no main effects for subject gender.