The current study used an overall marital quality score that was based on items which assessed the quality of the marital relationship in different areas. Two items used in a large national survey (National Survey of Families and Households) assessed the risk for separation or divorce (e.g., During the past year, how often have you thought your relationship might be in trouble?). Three items commonly used in national surveys (e.g. National Survey of Families and Households; National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experiences) measured the level of disagreement between the participant and her or his spouse regarding money matters, household tasks, and leisure time activities (e.g., How much do your and your spouse disagree on money matters, such as how much to spend, save or invest?). The amount of empathy and level of criticism the respondent received from his or her spouse were each measured by six items adapted from Schuster, Kessler, and Aseltine (1990) (e.g., How much does your spouse really care about you?, How often does your spouse make too many demands on you?). Finally, four items assessed
