Financial boundary ambiguity in military couples
Abstract
The military lifestyle of extended trainings and deployments creates a need to clearly define each
partner’s roles and responsibilities (i.e., boundary ambiguity) after each departure and reunion.
Previous researchers have discovered the less boundary ambiguity that occurs when an
individual enters into or departs the family system, the less likely the family will experience
strain or crisis. One difficult area of boundary definition is finances, as couples tend to avoid
talking about money, which could lead to higher rates of “financial boundary ambiguity”. This
study applied the Contextual Model of Family Stress Theory to examine financial boundary
ambiguity and its impact on marital satisfaction in the post-deployment stage. The actor-partner
interdependence model was employed using structural equation modeling in a theory-driven
exploration of the impact of financial ambiguity. It was hypothesized (and results support) that
more resources (flexibility and communication) are related to less financial ambiguity, and
financial ambiguity is inversely related to marital quality. Theoretical, clinical, and research
implications are examined based on the findings to explore factors that may decrease the
likelihood of financial boundary ambiguity in military couples and, potentially, any couple
experiencing transitions.