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Marital SatisfactionIntroduction to Family Studies
Marriage
As we’ve discussed, although one-half of all marriages EVENTUALLY end in a divorce, most of us take the plunge at least once!
Why?
Marriage is still a major institution in the U.S.
Marriage
Is marriage good for us?
How do we measure this?
Are married people happy?
How might we measure marital happiness?
Marriage – Linda Waite – The Case for Marriage Who benefits from marriage – men or women?
Marriage in general is a healthier state than being single or divorced
Why?
Being married exerts a deterrent effect on:
1. Health compromising behavior
2. Risk-taking behavior, excess drinking, drug-abuse, i.e. one’s sense of responsibility leads to less risk
3. Married people have better mental health, regardless of gender, married people have lower rates of anxiety and depression mainly because they have greater social support
Marriage
Marriage in general is a healthier state than being single or divorced
This means on average, but there are still people who may be unhappy or abused in some marriages and would be better off if divorced
Research shows children with high conflict parents do better in their own relationships if parents divorce
Don’t stay together for the sake of children if you are in a high-conflict marriage
Gager, Linver, & Yabiku, 2009
Measuring Marriage HappinessHow do we measure marital success?
Many indicators of marital happinessOverall “global” measuresSpecific questions on particular areas of
marriageHow would you measure marital
happiness?
Measuring Marriage Happiness How do we measure marital success?
Here are some sample questions from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH)
This survey is a national and longitudinal National means that a sample of families were selected that
represents the entire U.S. Longitudinal means the same families were followed over time
Over 6,800 families were interviewed in 1987
They were re-interviewed in 1993
One of their adult children was re-interviewed in 2002-03
Measuring Marriage Happiness
How do we measure marital success?
Here are some sample questions from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH)
Q1. It is always difficult to predict what will happen in a marriage, but realistically, what do you think the chances are that you and your husband/wife will eventually separate or divorce?
Q2. During the past year, have you ever thought that your marriage might be in trouble?
Measuring Marriage Happiness
How do we measure marital success?
Here are some sample questions from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH)
Q3. How often, if at all, in the last year have you had open disagreements about each of the following:
A. The children B. Spending time together
C. Money D. Sex E. Your in-laws
Measuring Marriage Happiness
How do we measure marital success?
Q4. How would you describe the fairness in your marriage in the following area: The division of household chores Working for pay Spending money
Measuring Marriage Happiness How do we measure marital success?
Q5. Physical violence: “During the past year, how many fights with your husband/wife resulted in: ‘you hitting, shoving, or throwing things at him/her’ or ‘him/her hitting, shoving, or throwing things at you’?
COUPLES WHO REPORT PHYSICAL VIOLENCE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO DIVORCE
Source: Sanchez & Gager, 2000
Measuring Marriage Happiness
How do we measure marital success?
Q7: Taking all things together, how would you describe your marriage?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Very Very
unhappy happy
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
1 - VeryUnhappy
2 3 4 5 6 7 - VeryHappy
Wives' and Husbands' Report of Marital Happiness, NSFH 1993
Wives Husbands
Hmmmm?????
A 50% chance of divorce…
Yet most people say they are very happy?
Remember social desirability bias?
People report what they are supposed to feel according to societal norms and expectations
We are supposed to be happily married right?
This may explain these surprising findings
What leads to Marital Bliss?
A recent article in the Huffington Post, from the writers of Spousonomics, says:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-szuchman/spousonomics-guide_b_823683.html#s240806&title=Go_to_the
Let’s see which ones we should trust based on who did the research (or not).
Summary
Married people are on average healthier than non married, especially men
We have many ways to measure marital satisfaction:
Global questions like how happy is your marriage or
Combinations of questions about particular areas of marriage