Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Preparation of High-Quality Fermented Fish Product
Published on: August 23, 2019
Relationship Quality among Cohabiting versus Married Couples
Susan L Brown1, Wendy D Manning1, Krista K Payne1
1Department of Sociology and Center for Family & Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403.
Abstract:
Using data from the nationally representative 2010 Married and Cohabiting Couples (MCC) survey of different-sex cohabiting and married couples, we compared the relationship quality of today's cohabitors and marrieds. Consistent with diffusion theory and recent conceptual work on the deinstitutionalization of marriage, we found that the relationship between union type and relationship quality is now bifurcated with direct marrieds reporting the highest relationship quality and cohabitors without marriage plans reporting the lowest marital quality. In the middle were the two largest groups: marrieds who premaritally cohabited and cohabitors with plans to marry. These two groups did not differ in terms of relationship quality. This study adds to the growing literature indicating that the role of cohabitation in the family life course is changing in the contemporary context.
Related Concept Videos
Relationship Formation
Ending Relationships
Relationship Growth
Spin–Spin Coupling: Two-Bond Coupling (Geminal Coupling)
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
Spin–Spin Coupling: Three-Bond Coupling (Vicinal Coupling)
The extent of coupling depends on the C‑C bond length, the two H‑C‑C angles, any electron-withdrawing substituents, and the dihedral angle between the involved orbitals. The...
Social Relationships and Well-Being

