TY - JOUR
T1 - Birds of a Feather Don't Always Fly Farthest
T2 - Similarity in Big Five Personality Predicts More Negative Marital Satisfaction Trajectories in Long-Term Marriages
AU - Shiota, Michelle
AU - Levenson, Robert W.
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - Decades of research suggest that similarity in demographics, values, activities, and attitudes predicts higher marital satisfaction. The present study examined the relationship between similarity in Big Five personality factors and initial levels and 12-year trajectories of marital satisfaction in long-term couples, who were in their 40s and 60s at the beginning of the study. Across the entire sample, greater overall personality similarity predicted more negative slopes in marital satisfaction trajectories. In addition, spousal similarity on Conscientiousness and Extraversion more strongly predicted negative marital satisfaction outcomes among the midlife sample than among the older sample. Results are discussed in terms of the different life tasks faced by young, midlife, and older adults, and the implications of these tasks for the "ingredients" of marital satisfaction.
AB - Decades of research suggest that similarity in demographics, values, activities, and attitudes predicts higher marital satisfaction. The present study examined the relationship between similarity in Big Five personality factors and initial levels and 12-year trajectories of marital satisfaction in long-term couples, who were in their 40s and 60s at the beginning of the study. Across the entire sample, greater overall personality similarity predicted more negative slopes in marital satisfaction trajectories. In addition, spousal similarity on Conscientiousness and Extraversion more strongly predicted negative marital satisfaction outcomes among the midlife sample than among the older sample. Results are discussed in terms of the different life tasks faced by young, midlife, and older adults, and the implications of these tasks for the "ingredients" of marital satisfaction.
KW - Big Five
KW - aging
KW - marital satisfaction
KW - personality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=38649130486&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=38649130486&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0882-7974.22.4.666
DO - 10.1037/0882-7974.22.4.666
M3 - Article
C2 - 18179287
AN - SCOPUS:38649130486
SN - 0882-7974
VL - 22
SP - 666
EP - 675
JO - Psychology and aging
JF - Psychology and aging
IS - 4
ER -