Marital attitudes over 40 years: a longitudinal and cohort analysis

The present study investigated attitude change in adulthood within the context of historical change utilizing contemporary and archival data from the Terman Study of the Gifted. The study examined longitudinal comparisons of marital attitudes in light of a cohort comparison between the Terman subjects and a contemporary sample of 30-year-old individuals. The results indicated that significant change has occurred in marital attitudes for the Terman subjects over the 40 years from 30 to 70. These changes are in accord with current social trends. The changes for men and women differed in magnitude and areas of emphasis, and there was evidence for enduring sex differences in some areas. Changes occurring for the Terman women were of comparable magnitude to the cohort comparisons, whereas cohort differences for men were generally stronger than longitudinal changes.