Better-educated parents generally have children who are themselves better educated, healthier, wealthier, and better off in almost every way than the children of the less educated. But this simple correlation does not prove that the relationship is causal. Neeraj Kaushal sifts through the evidence from economics and public policy and reviews large…

Examines the relationship between premarital cohabitation and marital dysfunction a sample spouses in two marriage cohorts: those married between 1964 and 1980 (when cohabitation was less common) and those married between 1981 and 1997 (when cohabitation was more common). Spouses in both cohorts who cohabited prior to marriage reported poorer…

Examines the processes that underlie the association between trait expressiveness and marital satisfaction. Analyses suggested that expressiveness promotes satisfaction by leading spouses to engage in affectionate behavior and by leading them to idealize their partner. Extends previous research by providing a plausible explanation of the…

Compares husbands' and wives' views of the wantedness of their most recent pregnancy in the Philippines. Finds that those most at risk of experiencing a pregnancy that neither spouse wanted tended to be those who were practicing Catholics who attended religious services frequently and those among whom the husband was the sole breadwinner.…

Reviews research on premarital factors associated with later marital quality and stability in first marriages. Three major categories of factors are described, including background and context, individual traits and behaviors, and couple interactional processes. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal research are summarized. Recommendations for…

Many studies have established that married people fare better than their never-married counterparts in terms of psychological well-being. Tests hypotheses based on both selection and relationship effects. Results indicate no evidence of selection of less depressed persons into either marriage or cohabitation, but a negative effect of entry into…

Compares the predictors of marital well-being for African American and European American women by focusing on the influences of individual, interpersonal, and social and economic resources. Emotional health, trusting one's spouse, and feeling underbenefited in the relationship were significant predictors of marital well-being for both groups.…

Parental divorce is associated with negative views of marriage among children of divorce but also increases the likelihood of early marriage because adult responsibilities are often assumed at an earlier age. Therefore, research indicates both promarriage and antimarriage tendencies within this group. The most salient factors in determining these…

Investigates whether fatherhood, and specifically involvement with nonresident children, influence men's entrance into marital and cohabiting unions. Findings suggest that neither resident nor nonresident children affect men's chances of entering a new marriage, but nonresident children have a positive effect on cohabitation. (Contains 79…

We evaluated 10 college marriage textbooks for their efficacy in teaching the premarital predictors of marital quality identified in the literature. They also were evaluated on their use of an integrative teaching approach that personalizes the content for readers and assists readers in learning, remembering, and using the information in their own…

Reviews research both supportive and skeptical of theories (based upon status competition processes, status incompatibility, complementary needs, and threat to gender identity) which posit that stress is created in marriages where the wife's occupational achievements exceed the husband's. Posits a theory explaining which couples will succeed in…

The 32-item Attitudes about Romance and Mate Selection Scale (ARMSS) was developed to measure constraining beliefs about mate selection. Results of factor analysis showed few gender differences in the degree to which constraining beliefs about mate selection are held by single young adults. However, significant differences were found when age,…