Determinants of Marital Satisfaction: A Comparison of the United States and Japan

Abstract

Past literature, mostly based on US data, indicates that satisfaction with marriage is determined by each spouse's rewards from marital interactions but not by socioeconomic characteristics. To examine the differences and similarities between American and Japanese spouses in the determinants of marital satisfaction, comparative survey data are analyzed in this study. It was expected that expressive (interaction) aspects of marriage are more important in the United States and instrumental (socioeconomic) aspects more in Japan. Results indicate that determinants are similar between husbands and wives within each country and somewhat different between the two countries, largely in the expected way. The husband's income is important for Japanese spouses but not for the American. Age has a negative relationship to marital satisfaction in the United States but not in Japan. Rewards from marital interactions are equally important in these two countries, contrary to the expectation. Different ideals and conceptions about marriage in each country partly explain these differences.