Item from the Smart Marriages Archive, reproduced in the Divorce Statistics Collection

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Friday, September 4, 1998
Detroit News

Seniors: Couples' skills under study

Wayne State University research examines how pairs shift roles to grow old successfully


WSU graduate student Jennifer Margrett, center, explains a problem-solving test to Joesethus and Priscilla King.

By Dell Warner

    A study at Wayne State University is trying to find out whether older married couples develop special skills and
strategies for helping one another grow older successfully.    

Co-principal investigator Jennifer Margrett interviewed 30 Metro Detroit couples. The study is funded by the National
Institute of Health.    

"It's amazing, how the couples have exhibited unique ways of instinctively stepping back to allow their mate to take the
lead in a situation," Margrett said. "While in other situations of everyday living, according to their personality, talents
and skills, they step forward to take the role, for the best outcome possible."    

Social scientists know that men are good at tasks, while women are more skilled in social situations.    

How and why task assignments shift during a marriage is the question the study seeks to answer. Has the husband
taken over the task of reading recipes or labels on the cans? Has the wife taken over paying the bills?    

Researchers want to know whether the shifts stem from physical or mental changes in either partner, such as
diminishing vision or memory problems.    

Sometimes, partners trade roles and women become interested in organizational pursuits or starting a part-time business
while men, eager to shed years of schedules and work, become more family-oriented, and occupy themselves with
social and recreational activities. And couples often develop similar attitudes and ways of getting things done.    

Why this happens with some couples and not others, is what researchers are trying to discover. Is it personality?
Individual beliefs about what kinds of things men "should do" and women "should do"? What brings it about? Is it
personality? Beliefs about gender task assignments? What are the things men do? And what do women do?    

Priscilla and Joesethus King of Detroit thought after 30 years of marriage they could read each other's minds. They
joined the study because Joesethus thought "we had the time and it might be something we could learn from."    
Laughing heartily, he admitted he did learn something.    

"I certainly did," he said. "I'm retired now, and I used to worry a lot. I learned 'don't sweat the little stuff.' Just be
aware of them."    

Priscilla was thoughtful after listing her perceptions of herself and her character traits, such as "honest" and "faithful."  
 

"I knew how I saw myself," she said, "but wondered if he'd see and say the same things about me."    

Margrett invites all married couples to volunteer for the study. Couples must be older than 60, married 15 years or
longer, available for a single 3-hour session, work with another couple or each other and be willing to be videotaped.  
 

Couples will be paid $20 per person to cover travel and time.    

Wayne State University, Institute of Gerontology, Knapp Building, 87 E. Ferry, Detroit.        

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