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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.
Journal of Family Issues
|June 19, 2018
Summary
Relationship quality differs by union type. Directly married couples report the highest quality, while cohabitors without marriage plans report the lowest. Premarital cohabitation before marriage shows no difference in quality compared to cohabitation with marriage plans.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Family Studies
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Marriage and cohabitation represent evolving family structures in contemporary society.
- The deinstitutionalization of marriage suggests changing norms and expectations around marital unions.
- Previous research indicates shifts in the role and meaning of cohabitation within the family life course.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the relationship quality between different-sex married and cohabiting couples.
- To examine how union type, including direct marriage, premarital cohabitation, and cohabitation with marriage plans, influences relationship quality.
- To understand the contemporary role of cohabitation in relation to marital quality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the nationally representative 2010 Married and Cohabiting Couples (MCC) survey.
- Compared relationship quality across distinct groups: directly married couples, married couples with prior cohabitation, cohabiting couples with marriage plans, and cohabiting couples without marriage plans.
- Employed statistical analysis to identify differences and similarities in relationship quality based on union type.
Main Results:
- A bifurcated relationship between union type and relationship quality was observed.
- Directly married couples reported the highest relationship quality.
- Cohabiting couples without marriage plans reported the lowest relationship quality, while married couples with premarital cohabitation and cohabiting couples with marriage plans reported intermediate and similar levels of relationship quality.
Conclusions:
- The findings support diffusion theory and research on the deinstitutionalization of marriage.
- The study highlights a significant divergence in relationship quality based on marital intentions and union status.
- The changing role of cohabitation indicates a dynamic evolution in family formation and relationship trajectories.
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