Developmental Trajectories of Marital Happiness Over 16 Years

Birditt, Kira S.; Hope, Susannah; Brown, Edna; Orbuch, Terri L.

doi:10.1080/15427609.2012.680844

Cited by 55 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Because older cohorts report higher marital quality (Glenn, 1998; VanLaningham et al, 2001), previous work (Anderson et al, 2010; Kamp Dush, 2013) may be biased due to inter- (rather than intra-) cohort differences or because the sample is limited only to continuously married respondents. Finally, two of the previous five studies in this area have racially and geographically homogenous samples (Birditt et al, 2012; Lavner and Bradbury, 2010). To overcome these limitations, the national data for this paper come from a single birth cohort (born between 1957 and 1964).…”

Section: Methodological Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variation in trajectories of women’s marital quality

James

2015

Social Science Research

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I examine variation in trajectories of women's marital quality across the life course. The analysis improves upon earlier research in three ways: (1) the analysis uses a sequential cohort design and data from the first 35 years of marriage; (2) I analyze rich data from a national sample; (3) I examine multiple dimensions of marital quality. Latent class growth analyses estimated on data from women in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (N = 2604) suggest multiple trajectories for each of three dimensions of marital quality, including two trajectories of marital happiness, two trajectories of marital communication, and three trajectories of marital conflict. Socioeconomic and demographic covariates are then used to illustrate how factors such as income, cohabitation, and race-ethnicity set individuals at risk of poor marital quality throughout the life course by differentiating between high and low trajectories of marital quality. Women on low marital quality trajectories are, as expected, at much greater risk of divorce. Taken together, these findings show how fundamental socioeconomic and demographic characteristics contribute to subsequent marital outcomes via their influence on trajectories of marital quality as well as providing a better picture of the complexity in contemporary patterns of marital quality.

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Section: Methodological Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has (Anderson et al, 2010; Birditt et al, 2012; Kamp Dush and Taylor, 2012; Kamp Dush et al, 2008; Lavner and Bradbury, 2010). But the number of studies is small and limited by important methodological and theoretical shortcomings detailed in section 4.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in trajectories of women’s marital quality

James

2015

Social Science Research

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“…Evidence is mounting to suggest that African American and European American couples in the United States experience marriage and marital processes differently. African American couples tend to report lower initial and subsequent levels of marital quality and higher rates of divorce compared with their European American counterparts (Birditt et al, ; Corra, Carter, Carter, & Knox, ; Furdyna, Tucker, & James, ; Goodwin, ), suggesting systemic or cultural differences in how these couples experience marriage. Indeed, the persistent institutional racism experienced by African Americans in the United States (Lin & Harris, ) can bring chronic stress into a marriage, affecting daily relationship functioning and making it more difficult to maintain high levels of marital quality compared with European American spouses.…”

Section: Sociodemographic Differences In Marital Quality and Sexual Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Couples who maintain satisfying sexual relations report happier marriages and are less likely to divorce, whereas the reverse is true for those experiencing low levels of sexual satisfaction (McNulty, Wenner, & Fisher, 2016;Sprecher & Cate, 2004;Yeh, Lorenz, Wickrama, Conger, & Elder, 2006). Notably, early marital functioning is important for the course of the relationship, as those who begin with higher levels of satisfaction and stronger romantic bonds tend to have more stable and satisfying marriages over time (Birditt, Hope, Brown, & Orbuch, 2012;Huston, Caughlin, Houts, Smith, & George, 2001;Kurdek, 1999Kurdek, , 2005Orbuch, Bauermeister, Brown, & Mckinley, 2013). Thus, the association between sexual intimacy and marital quality in the newlywed years may have implications for long-term marital outcomes.…”

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confidence: 99%

Sexual Distress and Marital Quality of Newlyweds: An Investigation of Sociodemographic Moderators

Blumenstock

Papp

2017

Family Relations

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Objective Drawing from the vulnerability–stress–adaptation model, we explored sexual distress as a lack of adaptive processes within marriage by assessing whether sociodemographic variables associated with stress moderated the association between sexual distress and marital quality. Background Sexual intimacy and marital quality are strongly linked, but it remains unclear what role sexual distress (distinct from low sexual satisfaction) plays in marital quality and whether this role differs across sociodemographic characteristics (race, socioeconomic status, premarital childbearing). Method Data are from in‐person and telephone interviews of 199 African American and 174 European American couples across their first 4 years of marriage. Dyadic multilevel modeling was used to analyze longitudinal associations between sexual distress and marital quality and to test whether these associations were moderated by race, socioeconomic status, and premarital childbearing, while controlling for joyful sex and pregnancy. Results Sexual distress and marital quality were bidirectionally linked. Sexual distress was a stronger predictor of marital quality for African American husbands compared with European American husbands. Socioeconomic status and premarital childbearing were not statistically significant moderators. Conclusion High sexual distress is distinct from low sexual satisfaction and may indicate insufficient adaptive processes for partners experiencing chronic stress. Social context and factors beyond marital processes may influence the role sexual intimacy plays in marital quality. Implications Findings contribute to practitioners' understanding of how sexual distress relates to marital quality in diverse newlywed couples.

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“…It is well established in the marital literature that couples experience changes in their marital happiness over time (Birditt, Hope, Brown, & Orbuch, 2012; James, 2015; Lavner & Bradbury, 2010). There is much less known about the development of negative aspects of the marital relationship.…”

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confidence: 99%

The development of marital tension: Implications for divorce among married couples.

Birditt¹,

Wan²,

Orbuch³

et al. 2017

Developmental Psychology

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Marriages are often characterized by their positive and negative features in terms of whether they elicit feelings of satisfaction and happiness or conflict and negativity. Although research has examined the development of marital happiness, less is known about the development of negativity among married couples. We examined how marital tension (i.e., feelings of tension, resentment, irritation) develops within couples over time and whether marital tension has unique implications for divorce. Specifically, we examined marital tension among husbands and wives within the same couples from the first to the sixteenth year of marriage, as well as links between marital tension and divorce. Participants included 355 couples assessed in years 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 16 of marriage. Multilevel models revealed that wives reported greater marital tension than husbands. Marital tension increased over time among both husbands and wives, with a greater increase among husbands. Couples were more likely to divorce when wives reported higher marital tension, a greater increase in marital tension, and greater cumulative marital tension. Findings are consistent with the emergent distress model of marriage, but indicate that despite the greater increases in marital tension among husbands, wives’ increased marital tension over the course of marriage is more consistently associated with divorce.

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Developmental Trajectories of Marital Happiness Over 16 Years

Cited by 55 publications

References 46 publications

Variation in trajectories of women’s marital quality

Variation in trajectories of women’s marital quality

Sexual Distress and Marital Quality of Newlyweds: An Investigation of Sociodemographic Moderators

The development of marital tension: Implications for divorce among married couples.

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