Sex-role attributes, gender, and postpartal perceptions of the marital relationship

The relationships of sex-role attributes and gender to perceptions of changes in intimacy and in the overall marital relationship were examined, as was the quality of that relationship following the birth of an infant. For a sample of 165 couples, positive changes in intimacy and in the overall relationship following delivery were positively related to marital quality at four months postpartum. Of gender and sex-role attributes, only femininity contributed significantly to the prediction of overall change and quality. None of the variables predicted perceived change in intimacy.