Table 1. Correlations Between Personality, Stress, and Adaptive Process Variables (N = 344 spouses).

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Husbands (n = 172)
1. Neuroticism	—
2. Trait anger	0.57**	—
3. Self-esteem	−0.48**	−0.16*	—
4. Personality composite	0.88**	0.74**	−0.71**	—
5. Chronic stress	0.35**	0.26**	−0.13	0.34**	—
6. Aggression	0.31**	0.31**	−0.05	0.30**	0.18*	—
7. Negative affect (joint)	0.11	0.09	−0.01	0.10	0.08	0.28**	—
8. Positive affect (joint)	−0.05	−0.21**	−0.13	−0.09	−0.03	−0.15	−0.24**	—
Wives (n = 172)
1. Neuroticism	—
2. Trait anger	0.67**	—
3. Self-esteem	−0.50**	−0.43**	—
4. Personality composite	0.87**	0.84**	−0.77**	—
5. Chronic stress	0.29**	0.23**	−0.32**	0.34**	—
6. Aggression	0.28**	0.34**	−0.20*	0.33**	0.28**	—
7. Negative affect (joint)	0.08	0.17*	−0.08	0.13	0.11	0.34**	—
8. Positive affect (joint)	−0.13	−0.20*	0.17*	−0.20**	−0.09	−0.27**	−0.24**	—

Note: We calculated correlations between variables separately for husbands and wives. The personality composite is an aggregate index formed by normalizing and combining individuals' scores on neuroticism, trait anger, and self-esteem.

^*p < .05.

^**p < .01.