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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Ten Years Of Marriage And Cohabitation Research In The Journal Of Family And Economic Issues, Jeffrey P. Dew
Ten Years Of Marriage And Cohabitation Research In The Journal Of Family And Economic Issues, Jeffrey P. Dew
Faculty Publications
I reviewed the 36 marriage and cohabitation studies from the Journal of Family and Economic Issues articles published between 2010–2019. Nearly all of the studies used quantitative methods, and two-thirds of them used publicly available nationally-representative data. The studies fell into roughly five, unevenly sized groups: family structure, relationship quality, division of labor/employment, money management, and an “other” category. Suggestions for future research include applying some of the important questions within the articles to underrepresented groups, further examining the process of how finances and relationship quality interrelate and doing more applied and translational research.
Text-Map Analysis: An Introduction To The Method And An Examination Of Relationship Self-Regulation And Religion, Joe M. Chelladurai, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks
Text-Map Analysis: An Introduction To The Method And An Examination Of Relationship Self-Regulation And Religion, Joe M. Chelladurai, David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks
Faculty Publications
The twofold purpose of this article is to (a) introduce text-map analysis and demonstrate its utility and (b) to examine systemic processes between relationship self-regulation and religion. In the first part, we propose a novel approach to qualitative data analysis termed mapping and analysis of processes and sequences. We then present procedural steps and diagrammatic conventions to chart sequences and connections between concepts and events sing flowchart diagrams we call text-maps. In the second part, using text-map analysis with a case study, we examine relationship self-regulation and religion in a Latter-day Saint couple. We draw upon three episodes …
The Effects Of Premarital Education Promotion Policies On U.S. Divorce Rates, Tiffany L. Clyde, Jocelyn S. Wikle, Alan J. Hawkins, Spencer L. James
The Effects Of Premarital Education Promotion Policies On U.S. Divorce Rates, Tiffany L. Clyde, Jocelyn S. Wikle, Alan J. Hawkins, Spencer L. James
Faculty Publications
Currently, 10 states have enacted policies to promote premarital education and counseling. However, no research has documented whether these policies have actually decreased divorce rates in implementing states. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of premarital education promotion policies on divorce rates. First, we conducted an implementation study to understand how well each state implemented the policy. A combination of methods was used, including reviewing the legislative documents and archival records, as well as interviewing academics and key persons knowledgeable of the legislation. Following the implementation study, we conducted an evaluation study to analyze the effects …
Religion And Volunteering In Marital Relationships, Young-Il Kim, Jeffrey P. Dew
Religion And Volunteering In Marital Relationships, Young-Il Kim, Jeffrey P. Dew
Faculty Publications
Married people are generally more religious and do volunteer work more frequently than unmarried people. However, little is known about which religious characteristics or domains predict volunteering behaviors among married couples. Using data from a U.S. national sample of heterosexual married couples, we examine which aspects of couples’ religiosity predicted husbands’ and wives’ reports of volunteering. Results from actor-partner interdependence models indicated that performing religious observances in the home was associated with wives’ reports of volunteering. Attending religious services regularly with one’s spouse was associated with higher levels of volunteering for both wives and husbands. Other domains of religiosity, such …
Uniting And Dividing Influences Of Religion In Marriage Among Highly Religious Couples, Heather H. Kelley, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite
Uniting And Dividing Influences Of Religion In Marriage Among Highly Religious Couples, Heather H. Kelley, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite
Faculty Publications
Previous research has suggested that religion can be both helpful and harmful. However, much oof the research on religion and families has employed relatively simple, distal measures of religion and has focused on predominantly only one side of the dualistic nature of religion. Drawing upon interviews with 198 religious couples (N = 396 individuals), the purpose of this study was to better understand how religion can have both a unifying and a dividing influence on marital relationships. Three overarching themes, accompanied by supporting primary qualitative data from participants, are presented. These themes include (a) how religious beliefs unite and …
Longitudinal Influence Of Shared Marital Power On Marital Quality And Attachment Security, Nathan D. Leonhardt, Brian J. Willoughby, W. Justin Dyer, Jason S. Carroll
Longitudinal Influence Of Shared Marital Power On Marital Quality And Attachment Security, Nathan D. Leonhardt, Brian J. Willoughby, W. Justin Dyer, Jason S. Carroll
Faculty Publications
Spouses perceiving that they have shared power in marriage has been linked to higher marital quality and attachment security. Existing research, however, is limited in assessing how these perceptions influence both spouses and whether these influences endure over time. To address these limitations, we analyzed the longitudinal relationship reports from 319 couples from the Flourishing Families Project (FFP) to estimate biyearly (Waves 1, 3, and 5) and yearly (Waves 3–5) longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models. Reporting shared power in marriage was linked to the actors’ higher marital quality and lower attachment insecurity over time (although less consistently for attachment insecurity). Longitudinal …
Spousal Influence: A Study Of Women With Eating And Body Image Concerns, Wendy C. Birmingham, Adriane Ito De Queiroz Cavallini, Jordan Sgro
Spousal Influence: A Study Of Women With Eating And Body Image Concerns, Wendy C. Birmingham, Adriane Ito De Queiroz Cavallini, Jordan Sgro
Faculty Publications
Eating disorder literature often overlooks those exhibiting eating and body image concerns without an eating disorder diagnosis. Supportive spouses may ameliorate negative body image and eating behavior, but spouses who exhibit both supportive and non-supportive behaviors concurrently (ambivalent) may send mixed messages. Eating disorder behaviors and spousal interactions were assessed in 61 women who demonstrated eating disordered behavior and body dissatisfaction but were not clinically diagnosed with an eating disorder. Spouses mostly provided messages of reassurance. However, some women were unable to overcome their internalized negative body image. Feelings of social comparison were seen with ambivalent spouses. Supportive relationships may …
The Deception Of Depression: How A Melancholy Mood Can Sink A Marriage, Jason B. Whiting
The Deception Of Depression: How A Melancholy Mood Can Sink A Marriage, Jason B. Whiting
Faculty Publications
Logan was a doctoral student studying ancient Italian poetry. His life was filled with shelves of old books and a teaching job where he was supposed to inspire lethargic freshmen. His doctoral adviser was difficult and inconsistent, and Logan was a people- pleaser who worried that his adviser and students were always upset with him. He came to see me at the request of his wife, Yuko, who was starting to panic at his change in personality. “He used to be cheerful, fun-loving, and interested in his work,” she said. “Now he is a zombie. He goes through the motions …
Revisiting Financial Issues And Marriage, Jeffrey P. Dew
Revisiting Financial Issues And Marriage, Jeffrey P. Dew
Faculty Publications
This chapter examines research pertaining to the association between financial issues and marriage. The majority of the research reviewed was published after 2008. These studies show that financial issues relate to marriage formation, marital quality, and marital stability (i.e., divorce). Specifically, financial stability is associated with a greater likelihood of marriage. Further, behaviors that financial practitioners would label “sound financial management” are positively associated with marital quality and stability. For example, longitudinal studies found that consumer debt was positively associated with divorce whereas financial assets were negatively associated with divorce. Studies have also found that financial arguments create worse relationship …
A Common-Fate Analysis Of Pornography Acceptance, Use, And Sexual Satisfaction Among Heterosexual Married Couples, Cameron C. Brown, Jason S. Carroll, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Dean M. Busby, Brian J. Willoughby, Jeffrey H. Larson
A Common-Fate Analysis Of Pornography Acceptance, Use, And Sexual Satisfaction Among Heterosexual Married Couples, Cameron C. Brown, Jason S. Carroll, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Dean M. Busby, Brian J. Willoughby, Jeffrey H. Larson
Faculty Publications
Using matched, heterosexual couple data from the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire (RELATE; n = 326 couples), an adapted common-fate approach was used to examine both common and unique attributes of husbands’ and wives’ acceptance of pornography and sexual satisfaction as well as husbands’ and wives’ pornography use. It was expected that spouses’ unique as well as shared variance of pornography acceptance would be significantly associated with husbands’ and wives’ levels of personal pornography use and that these use patterns would be significantly associated with husbands’ and wives’ unique as well as shared variance of sexual satisfaction. It was also expected that …
Marital Orientation And Relationship Well-Being Among Cohabiting Couples, Brian J. Willoughby, Dallin Belt
Marital Orientation And Relationship Well-Being Among Cohabiting Couples, Brian J. Willoughby, Dallin Belt
Faculty Publications
The aim of this study was to expand on previous studies of cohabitation to understand the relationship between marital orientations and the relationship well-being of cohabiting couples with a particular focus on using dyadic analyses to understand within-couple patterns. Results from a sample of 1,837 couples provided evidence that an intent to delay marriage and a lower importance placed on marriage for 1 partner was related to lower relationship well-being assessments for both partners in the areas of couple satisfaction, stability, and communication. Greater differences between partners in the intent to delay marriage and importance placed on marriage were also …
On The Horizon: Marriage Timing, Beliefs, And Consequences In Emerging Adulthood, Brian J. Willoughby, Jason S. Carroll
On The Horizon: Marriage Timing, Beliefs, And Consequences In Emerging Adulthood, Brian J. Willoughby, Jason S. Carroll
Faculty Publications
This chapter overviews marriage formation patterns and beliefs about marriage during emerging adulthood. Although marriage is no longer a transition occurring during emerging adulthood for many individuals, this chapter describes how marriage still has an important impact on emerging adult development and trajectories. The authors first note the major international demographic shifts in marriage that have occurred among emerging adults over the past several decades. They then highlight how research findings on beliefs about marriage have offered evidence that how emerging adults perceive their current or future marital transitions is strongly associated with other decisions during emerging adulthood. The chapter …
For Love Or Money? The Economic Consequences Of Delayed Marriage, Jason S. Carroll
For Love Or Money? The Economic Consequences Of Delayed Marriage, Jason S. Carroll
Faculty Publications
It has been well documented that over the last few decades we have seen a substantial increase in the median age of marriage in the United States. In fact, we are currently at all-time historic highs in these trends. According to the Current Population Survey from the U.S. Census, the median age of marriage right now is nearly 29 years of age for men and 27 years of age for women. Given the trajectory of this trend over the last several years, we are quickly approaching a time in our culture where half of marriages will occur for individuals after …
The Benefit Of Friends: The Importance Of Sexual Restraint And Friendship In Marriage Formation, Jason S. Carroll
The Benefit Of Friends: The Importance Of Sexual Restraint And Friendship In Marriage Formation, Jason S. Carroll
Faculty Publications
For young adults today, the word "friend" has multiple and sometimes contradictory meanings. For example, the term "friend" can refer to one's "best friend (BFF)" or "boyfriend" or "girlfriend"–labels that typically convey an ongoing relationship of commitment and concern between two people. But at the time, someone can be "friends" with several hundred people on their Facebook page, many of whom he or she never associates with or barely knows. And even a stranger is considered "friendly" when he is nice or courteous, even though there is no ongoing form of friendship in that association. In our modern society the …
The Fall Of Fertility: How Same-Sex Marriage Will Further Declining Birthrates In The United States, Jason S. Carroll, Walter Schumm
The Fall Of Fertility: How Same-Sex Marriage Will Further Declining Birthrates In The United States, Jason S. Carroll, Walter Schumm
Faculty Publications
The current debate over the definition of marriage is typically portrayed as a decision to "expand" or "extend" the boundaries of marriage to include same-sex couples. This argument, however, rests on the assumption that the basic nature off marriage will remain largely unchanged by granting marriage status to same-sex partnerships and that all this policy change will do is absorb same-se partnerships within the existing boundaries of marriage and emend the benefits of marriage to a wider segment of society. Indeed, the very term "same-sex marriage" implies that same-sex couples in committed relationships are already a type of marriage that …
Differences In Pornography Use Among Couples: Associations With Satisfaction, Stability, And Relationship Processes, Brian J. Willoughby, Jason S. Carroll, Dean M. Busby, Cameron C. Brown
Differences In Pornography Use Among Couples: Associations With Satisfaction, Stability, And Relationship Processes, Brian J. Willoughby, Jason S. Carroll, Dean M. Busby, Cameron C. Brown
Faculty Publications
The present study utilized a sample of 1755 adult couples in heterosexual romantic relationships to examine how different patterns of pornography use between romantic partners may be associated with relationship outcomes. While pornography use has been generally associated with some negative and some positive couple outcomes, no study has yet explored how differences between partners may uniquely be associated with relationship well-being. Results suggested that greater discrepancies between partners in pornography use were related to less relationship satisfaction, less stability, less positive communication, and more relational aggression. Mediation analyses suggested that greater pornography use discrepancies were primarily associated with elevated …
The Association Between Time Spent Using Entertainment Media And Marital Quality In A Contemporary Dyadic National Sample, Jeffrey P. Dew, Sarah Tulane
The Association Between Time Spent Using Entertainment Media And Marital Quality In A Contemporary Dyadic National Sample, Jeffrey P. Dew, Sarah Tulane
Faculty Publications
This study used the Actor Partner Interdependence Model and a national sample of married couples (N = 1368) to explore the relationship between entertainment media use and marital satisfaction, conflict, and perceived marital instability. Entertainment media-use included newer types of media (e.g., social networking websites) as well as traditional media (e.g., television). A number of negative relationships between media use and wives’ and husbands’ marital quality emerged. Husbands’ use of social networking websites, in particular, was associated with many of the marital quality variables. The effect sizes of media use were small, however. We also explored whether the relationship …
Beyond The Expansion Framework: How Same-Sex Marriage Changes The Institutional Meaning Of Marriage And Heterosexual Men's Conception Of Marriage, Alan J. Hawkins, Jason S. Carroll
Beyond The Expansion Framework: How Same-Sex Marriage Changes The Institutional Meaning Of Marriage And Heterosexual Men's Conception Of Marriage, Alan J. Hawkins, Jason S. Carroll
Faculty Publications
Social institutions profoundly affect human behavior. They provide human relationships with meaning, norms, and patterns, and in doing so encourage and guide conduct; they are the "humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction." That is their function. And when the definitions and norms that constitute a social institution change, the behaviors and interactions that the institution shapes also change.
How The Perception Of God As A Transcendent Moral Authority Influences Marital Connection Among American Christians, Toshi Shichida, David C. Dollahite, Jason S. Carroll
How The Perception Of God As A Transcendent Moral Authority Influences Marital Connection Among American Christians, Toshi Shichida, David C. Dollahite, Jason S. Carroll
Faculty Publications
Dynamics that link individuals' perceptions of God as a transcendent moral authority and marital connection were analyzed in depth using qualitative data from a sample of 48 Christian spouses from California and New England. Thirsty-six individuals expressed their perception of God as a transcendent moral authority, and compared to 12 who did not, they conveyed three distinctive religious-marital dynamics. These were all processes to promote marital unity that engaged God, namely: (1) spouses modified their individual behavior in marriage with reference to their God model, (2) they shared as a couple the goal to obey God together, and (3) they …
Religion And Relationships In Muslim Families: A Qualitative Examination Of Devout Married Muslim Couples, Zahra Alghafli, Trevan Hatch, Loren Marks
Religion And Relationships In Muslim Families: A Qualitative Examination Of Devout Married Muslim Couples, Zahra Alghafli, Trevan Hatch, Loren Marks
Faculty Publications
Since 11 September 2001, Islam has been the center of many debates, discussions, parodies and publications. Many Muslims feel that their religion has been portrayed unfairly in Western media. The topics that seem to generate the most criticism relate to gender roles and the treatment of women, both inside the home and in society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived role of Islam on marital and familial relationships from an insider’s perspective and to present participants’ reflections on sensitive issues, including gender roles, women’s rights and marital unity. Content analysis of in-depth interviews of twenty diverse …
Healthy Transitions To Family Formation, Erin Kramer Holmes, Geoffrey Brown, Kevin Shafer, Nate Stoddard
Healthy Transitions To Family Formation, Erin Kramer Holmes, Geoffrey Brown, Kevin Shafer, Nate Stoddard
Faculty Publications
Current demographic trends in the United States suggest that emerging adults delay marriage (Vespa, 2014), nonmarital cohabitation is the norm among this age group (National Marriage Project, 2012), and premarital sex—including noncommitted hooking up (Garcia, Reiber, Massey, & Merriwether, 2012)—is widely accepted (Pew Research Center, 2014). These trends collide with consistently high divorce rates (Amato, 2010; Cherlin, 2010), where up to one-third of emerging adults grow up in stepfamilies (Copen, Daniels, Vespa, & Mosher, 2012). Aside from high divorce rates, the United States is experiencing what some demogra- phers term “the great crossover,” whereby unmarried parenthood is overtaking married parenthood …
Exploring The Effects Of Sexual Desire Discrepancy Among Married Couples, Brian J. Willoughby, Adam M. Farero, Dean M. Busby
Exploring The Effects Of Sexual Desire Discrepancy Among Married Couples, Brian J. Willoughby, Adam M. Farero, Dean M. Busby
Faculty Publications
Previous studies have found associations between the individual discrepancy of desired sexual frequency and actual sexual frequency and relational outcomes among premarital couples. The present study extended this research by using a sample of 1,054 married couples to explore how actor and partner individual sexual desire discrepancy (SDD) scores were associated with relationship satisfaction, stability, communication, and conflict during marriage. All participants took an online survey which assessed both couple sexual dynamics and relationship outcomes. Findings suggested that higher actor individual SDD was generally associated with negative relational outcomes, including lower reported relationship satisfaction, stability, and more reported couple conflict. …
No One Best Way: Work-Family Strategies, The Gendered Division Of Parenting, And The Contemporary Marriages Of Mothers And Fathers, W. Bradford Wilcox, Jeffrey P. Dew
No One Best Way: Work-Family Strategies, The Gendered Division Of Parenting, And The Contemporary Marriages Of Mothers And Fathers, W. Bradford Wilcox, Jeffrey P. Dew
Faculty Publications
The gender revolution of the last half-century has dramatically reshaped the nature, quality, and stability of marriage and parenthood in the United States. A half-century ago, most married mothers did not work outside the home, and most men and women preferred this arrangement. But over the course of the second half of the twentieth century, mothers streamed into the labor force, fathers devoted more time to childcare and housework, and public opinion largely swung behind these changes, with most Americans expressing normative support for working mothers, as well as for more egalitarian relationships between mothers and fathers in the home …
Stress Spillover Of Health Symptoms From Healthy Spouses To Patient Spouses In Older Married Couples Managing Both Diabetes And Osteoarthritis, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Susanne O. Roper, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Cynthia A. Berg
Stress Spillover Of Health Symptoms From Healthy Spouses To Patient Spouses In Older Married Couples Managing Both Diabetes And Osteoarthritis, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Susanne O. Roper, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Cynthia A. Berg
Faculty Publications
Many studies examining illness within marriage have investigated how illness in one spouse influences the other spouse. In later-life marriages, where both spouses are more likely to have health challenges, there is an increased likelihood that health symptoms from both spouses affect each other. In the current study we examined how health symptoms in a “healthy” spouse may exacerbate health problems in a partner (the patient) who is managing multiple chronic illnesses. Surveys were collected across 14 days from 27 later-life couples where patients had both diabetes and osteoarthritis. Results indicated that higher healthy spouse symptoms were generally associated with …
A Proposal For A Feasible, First-Step, Legislative Agenda For Divorce Reform, Alan J. Hawkins
A Proposal For A Feasible, First-Step, Legislative Agenda For Divorce Reform, Alan J. Hawkins
Faculty Publications
American sociologist Andrew Cherlin argues that the institutional boundaries of marriage have shrunk; marriage no longer effectively governs intimate associations before marriage, or structures "proper" pathways to the desired goal of healthy, stable marriage. Personal development and individual emotions are at the core of modern marriage, rather than societal expectations and religious and civil norms. Accordingly, marriages are held together now by internal, psychological forces rather than external, societal forces, and these bonds are substantially weaker. As a result, divorce is common, with about half ending within twenty years; second marriages have even higher rates of disruption. While the divorce …
Beyond Employment And Income: The Association Between Young Adults’ Finances And Marital Timing, Jeffrey P. Dew, Joseph Price
Beyond Employment And Income: The Association Between Young Adults’ Finances And Marital Timing, Jeffrey P. Dew, Joseph Price
Faculty Publications
This study tested an extension of the theory of marital timing (Oppenheimer, Am J Sociol 94:563–591, 1988) by assessing whether visible and less visible financial assets and debt mediated the relationship between employment and the likelihood of marriage. We conducted these prospective, longitudinal analyses using a sample of 1,522 never-married young adults from the National Survey of Families and Households. For participants who were not cohabiting at Wave 1, financial issues such as car values predicted marriage but did not mediate the relationship between work hours, occupational prestige, and the likelihood of marriage. For cohabiting participants, employment factors were the …
Contemporary Contradictions And Challenges Facing Married Fathers And Mothers, Erin K. Holmes, Jennifer Baumgartner, Loren Marks, Rob Palkovitz, Olena Nesteruk
Contemporary Contradictions And Challenges Facing Married Fathers And Mothers, Erin K. Holmes, Jennifer Baumgartner, Loren Marks, Rob Palkovitz, Olena Nesteruk
Faculty Publications
Part one of this review chapter provides a brief historical overview of the fathering role. Following this overview, some cultural contradictions and challenges facing fathers, particularly married fathers, are outlined and discussed. Key issues of focus in this section include married fathers balancing economic provision, household work, and involvement in child rearing. Part two of the chapter will overview cultural challenges and contradictions facing mothers, particularly married mothers. The contradictory challenges often inherent in marriage-based mothering include the pressures too simultaneously provide "intensive mothering" and to be extensively involved in a career. In sum, the chapter will illustrate how married …
Married With Children: The Influence Of Parental Status And Gender On Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Adam M. Howard, Dustin Thoman
Married With Children: The Influence Of Parental Status And Gender On Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Adam M. Howard, Dustin Thoman
Faculty Publications
Background Although there is substantial evidence that social relationships and marriage may influence both psychological and physical health, little is known about the influence of children. Purpose This study examined the competing predictions regarding the directional influence of parental status and its interaction with gender—given that mothers are typically disproportionately more responsible for everyday care of children—on cardiovascular functioning. Method We examined ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) over 24 hours among 198 married males and females. Results Couples without children had significantly higher ambulatory SBP and DBP than those with children. Moreover, we found a significant interaction between parental status and …
Has The Marital Time Cost Of Parenting Changed Over Time?, Jeffrey P. Dew
Has The Marital Time Cost Of Parenting Changed Over Time?, Jeffrey P. Dew
Faculty Publications
Qualitative and quantitative research has suggested that married couples handle the increasing demands of intensive parenting norms and work expectations by reducing spousal time (e.g., the time that spouses spend alone with each other). Using nationally representative time-diary data, this study examined whether married individuals with children at home lost more spousal time in the years 1975–2003 than individuals without children at home. The analyses showed that on average married individuals have reduced their spousal time by 50 minutes a day. Contrary to expectations, however, individuals with minor children at home had lower time declines than individuals without children. The …
Sexual Experience And Couple Formation Attitudes Among Emerging Adults, Brian J. Willoughby, Jason S. Carroll
Sexual Experience And Couple Formation Attitudes Among Emerging Adults, Brian J. Willoughby, Jason S. Carroll
Faculty Publications
In this study, we explore the relationship between attitudes toward both marriage and cohabitation and sexual experience during emerging adulthood. Results from 990 emerging adults indicated only moderate evidence that marital attitudes are related to sexual experience but strong evidence of a relationship between attitudes toward cohabitation and sexual experience. In particular, sexually active emerging adults were more likely to have positive attitudes toward cohabitation. Furthermore, it was found that both religiosity and dating status moderate the relationship between couple formation attitudes and sexual experience. For highly religious emerging adults, sexual activity was associated with higher endorsement of cohabitation; however, …