Emotional expressiveness and neuroticism: Do they predict marital quality?

This study examines how neuroticism and emotional expressiveness relate to perceptions of marital quality. Data were gathered from a sample of 197 Israeli couples. Wives scored higher than husbands on neuroticism and emotional expressiveness, but no significant gender differences were found in perceived marital quality. Structural equation models were estimated to examine the effect of both spouses' neuroticism and expressiveness on their own and on their spouse's evaluation of marital quality. Neuroticism was a strong predictor of both spouses' perceived marital quality. Wives' perceived marital quality was positively associated with both their own and their husbands' emotional expressiveness. In contrast, husbands' perceived marital quality was associated neither with their own nor with their wives' expressiveness.