Caregiving in the close relationships of cardiac patients: Exchange,power, and attributional perspectives on caregiver resentment

Individuals with a cardiac condition and their spousal caregivers were recruited from cardiac rehabilitation centers and interviewed separately. Based on exchange theory, it was expected that greater caregiver resentment would be associated with feeling underbenefited in the relationship and with an orientation to relationships that did not focus on the needs of the partner (communal), but did focus on “tit-for-tat” reciprocity (exchange). It was also expected that those caregivers who were more likely to get their needs satisfied in the relationship before the cardiac incident would be more resentful at giving care. Finally, based on attributional theory, it was predicted that caregivers who thought that their spouses were not taking responsibility for improving their health would be more resentful. As predicted, more resentful caregivers were those who felt underbenefited, were more exchange oriented, and judged that their partners were not working toward improving their health. In addition, only those with a low communal orientation toward their spouse showed a relationship between feeling underbenefited and resentment. The needs centrality prediction was not supported. The findings illustrate the utility of applying theories developed in the close relationship area to the understanding of caregiving with chronically ill populations.