A Study of Husbands and Wives from Dual-Career and Traditional-Career Families

Husbands and wives of dual-career families were compared with husbands and wives of traditional-career families on the variables of inner-directedness, self-actualizing values, existentiality, self-regard, and self-acceptance. Also, comparisons between the two sets of couples were made on shared and unshared interests. Our findings indicate that the husbands and wives in our sample of dual-career families do not differ in major ways from our sample of husbands and wives of traditional-career families; however, in every instance of difference, the direction of difference supports the view that husbands and wives of dual-career families are more inner-directed and flexible in applying personal values than husbands and wives of traditional-career families.