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Unraveling the Daily Stress Crossover Between Unemployed Individuals
and Their Employed Spouses
Zhaoli Song
National University of Singapore Maw-Der Foo
University of Colorado at Boulder
Marilyn A. Uy
University of Victoria Shuhua Sun
National University of Singapore
This study examined the dynamic relationship of distress levels between spouses when one is unem-
ployed (and looking for a job) while the other is engaged in full-time employment. Using the diary survey
method, we sampled 100 couples in China for 10 days and tested a model comprising three stress
crossover mechanisms: the direct crossover, the mediating crossover, and the common stressor mecha-
nisms. Results supported the direct crossover and common stressor mechanisms. Other stressors (e.g.,
work–family conflict and negative job search experience) were also related to distress of the unemployed
individuals and their employed spouses. Additionally, we found a three-way interaction involving gender,
marital satisfaction, and distress levels of employed spouses. We discuss how the study contributes to the
unemployment and stress crossover literatures.
Keywords: stress, crossover, diary survey, unemployment, work–family interface
Research on unemployment provides compelling evidence of
the adverse impact of job loss on the unemployed individual
that goes beyond income deprivation and employment benefits
(Fryer, 1995) to include increased levels of distress and depres-
sion (Catalano, 1991; Hamilton, Hoffman, Broman, & Rauma,
1993; McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg, & Kinicki, 2005). Studies
also have revealed that the consequence of job loss extend
beyond these individuals to include their families (Broman,
Hamilton, & Hoffman, 1990; Dooley, Fielding, & Levi, 1996;
Howe, Levy, & Caplan, 2004; J. H. Larson, 1984; Vinokur,
Price, & Caplan, 1996; Westman, Etzion, & Horovitz, 2004).
Researchers have suggested that people respond to stressful
situations in the context of relationships with significant others
(Bodenmann, 1997; Giunta & Compas, 1993), such as spousal
relationships, often regarded as among the most important
relationships (Howe, Caplan, Foster, Lockshin, & McGrath,
1995). Despite spousal influences on one’s experiences, with a
few notable exceptions (e.g., Vinokur & Caplan, 1987; Vinokur
et al., 1996), most unemployment studies have neglected these
influences. Little is known about how unemployed individuals
influence their spouses’ stress levels and vice versa.
Because unemployment is a shared life event affecting unem-
ployed persons and their spouses, researchers should examine the
reciprocal influences and experiences of both spouses to under-
stand how the family, as a system, responds to stress during
unemployment. We proposed and tested a model to explain cou-
ples’ distress when one spouse is unemployed and looking for a
job while the other spouse is working full-time. Such a family
situation can be plagued with a variety of stressors. Specifically,
stress reactions can occur when the stress experienced by one
person influences the stress experienced by another person,
the so-called crossover process (Westman, 2001). We tested three
stress crossover mechanisms, namely, the direct crossover, the
mediating crossover, and the common stressor mechanisms. We
also included in our model the stressors originating from each
spouse’s specific life situations, such as work–family conflict of
the employed spouse and job-search experiences of the unem-
ployed spouse. By taking into account different types of stressors,
our study sheds light on the dyadic-level stress dynamics among
married couples during unemployment and on the interplay of
unemployment experiences and shared experiences between
spouses. Moreover, our study also examined how gender may play
a role in the stress crossover process. Traditional gender role
theories postulate that because men and women undertake differ-
ent social roles, they should have different response patterns to-
ward their work, family responsibilities, unemployment, and their
spouses’ stress. We tested gender differences of stress reactions
and distress crossover in the post hoc analyses and found asym-
This article was published Online First October 4, 2010.
Zhaoli Song and Shuhua Sun, Department of Management and Organi-
zation, Business School, National University of Singapore, Singapore;
Maw-Der Foo, Management Division, Leeds School of Business, Univer-
sity of Colorado at Boulder; Marilyn A. Uy, Faculty of Business, Univer-
sity of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
We thank Connie Wanberg and Angelo Kinicki for comments on an
earlier version of this article. We also thank Shuhua Zhang from Shengy-
ang Normal University for assistance in data collection. This project was
supported by two research grants from National University of Singapore
(R-317–000–059–112 and R-317-000-071-112) awarded to Zhaoli Song
and a Chinese National Nature Science Foundation Grant (70571080)
awarded to Shuhua Zhang.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Zhaoli Song,
Department of Management and Organization, National University of Singa-
pore, 1 Business Link, Singapore 117592. E-mail: bizszl@nus.edu.sg
Journal of Applied Psychology © 2010 American Psychological Association
2011, Vol. 96, No. 1, 151–168 0021-9010/10/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0021035
151
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