This study examined the effects of different degrees of task structure on leadership between 18 married parents, 18 childless married spouses, and 18 unmarried men and women who comprised newly acquainted couples. Each couple completed three tasks which varied along the dimension of task structure and the order of task presentation. Analysis of the results indicated significant changes in leadership such that high task structure resulted in less dominance for males and lower speech durations for males and females. Medium task structure, which was confounded with high conflict arousal built into the task, resulted in the most relationship oriented type of leadership and the greatest duration of speech for both males and females. There were also significant differences among groups such that married men exhibited more task oriented leadership and dominance and less relationship oriented leadership than unmarried men. Married women who were parents exhibited less relationship oriented leadership and lower speech durations than women who did not have children. Men in all three groups showed more task oriented leadership than their female partners, but both sexes shared equally in relationship oriented leadership. (Author)