Some Personality Differences between Members of One-Career and Two-Career Families

Personality characteristics of husbands and wives were examined in two contexts: (1) traditional families, in which the husband was employed and the wife was a homemaker; and (2) two-career families, in which both members were employed. All respondents completed Schutz's FIRO-B, which consists of six scales: expressed and wanted behavior in areas of inclusion, control and affection. Working wives scored significantly lower on five of the six scales than did housewives. Husbands of working wives also scored significantly lower on four of the six scales than did husbands of homemakers. Thus, members of two-career families had significantly lower needs for social interchange in the areas of affection, inclusion and control. A measure of preferences for taking an active or passive position in relating to others showed housewives to be more passive than employed wives, but husbands of housewives to be more active than husbands of employed wives, confirming stereotyped notions of the dominant male role in single-career families.