For richer, for poorer : financial communication, power (im)balance, and social sabotage among U.S. different-gender couples

Abstract

Adopting feminist and intersectional perspectives, this study focused on gendered experiences in financial communication, power dynamics, and social sabotage across lower- versus higher-income couples. Three-wave, dyadic data were collected from 1,093 married couples between 2020 and 2022, covering the period before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a random-intercept, actor-partner interdependence cross-lagged panel model (i.e., RI-APIM-CLPM), this study was among the initial ones to investigate bidirectional, longitudinal associations among financial communication, power dynamics, and social sabotage. Across high- and low-income couples, bidirectional associations emerged between financial communication and social sabotage. Yet it was unexpected that financial communication problems and the experiences of being socially sabotaged seem to have depleted (vs. reinforced) each other for wives in the higher-income group. Unidirectional associations emerged such that financial communication predicted power (im)balance in high-income couples. Unidirectional associations emerged among low-income couples such that power (im)balance predicted financial communication problems and social sabotage. Our findings collectively suggested a spiral of financial communication problems, power inequity, and social sabotage. Our findings also demonstrated that wives in higher- and lower-income couples faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, though these challenges manifested in distinct forms. Thus, we remind practitioners and researchers of the necessity of considering the unique needs of men and women across different income statuses when addressing issues of financial communication problems, inequitable power, and social sabotage.