ABSTRACT
A number of different studies have established that smaller proportions of married women than married men experience emotional well-being. Unlike never-married women, who are reported to be generally better off emotionally than never-married men, married women are more likely than men to be depressed, to be unhappy with their marriages, and to have a negative image of themselves (Gove, 1972; Campbell, 1975; Silverman, 1968; Pearlin, 1975; Radloff, 1976; Gurin, Veroff, & Feld, 1960; McKee & Sherriffs, 1959). The research reported here is concerned with the question: In what ways do patterns of social interaction within the institution of marriage contribute to sex differences in emotional well-being?
