Is It Still Possible to Collect Nationally Representative Marriage Data in the United States? A Case Study From the CREATE Project

Abstract

Objective To understand challenges in the data collection environment for collecting nationally representative data and discuss one study's response to these challenges. Background The United States is undergoing impressive and transformational social change related to marriage. Social scientists' ability to study such changes are contingent on being able to minimize sampling error (the difference between the sample and the population), accomplished most reliably by collecting representative survey data and making concomitant generalizations from them. Given the expected low response rates in contemporary survey research, it is natural to ask whether it is still possible to collect high‐quality, nationally representative survey data on marriage and family. Method and Results This article presents an argument about the importance of continuing to collect nationally representative data on marriages and families, a discussion about the challenges associated with the task, an example of how one project managed and dealt with that environment, and data comparisons between multiple sampling methods. Conclusion Despite the challenges, scholars must continue to pursue nationally representative data to inform knowledge of national trends and relationships. Implications A greater focus on sampling methods and a study's concomitant generalizability and external validity will improve knowledge of trends in marriage and family relationships, leading to improved therapeutic practice; more informed policymaking; and better theoretical, conceptual, and methodological understanding of key family processes and outcomes.

Relationship quality and support for family policy during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Note that this is very roughly in line with the American Association for Public Opinion Research's raw response rate (RR1; Dutwin et al, 2014 ). Our 26% response rate also puts us in line with other large, national family surveys conducted in the United States in the past decade (James et al, 2021 ).…”

“…The sample was not a probability sample, although it does reflect the characteristics of the United States in terms of age, education, race–ethnicity, biological sex, and marital status. Yet, national quota samples are not equivalent to nationally representative ones (James et al, 2021 ). Additionally, participants were required to be in a preestablished committed relationship, indicating that levels of relationship satisfaction may be higher than individuals whose satisfaction may have declined enough during the pandemic that they ended their relationship prior to the launch of our survey.…”

Latent profiles of sleep quality, financial management behaviors, and sexual satisfaction in emerging adult newlywed couples and longitudinal connections with marital satisfaction

“…We also used a scale to measure sexual satisfaction that was not validated, which was a limitation of the data; future research could use more vetted measures. Finally, while the initial sample was nationally representative of newlywed couples in the US ( James et al, 2021 ) and attrition remained minimal, attrition by W3 may have affected the sample’s representativeness.…”

“…This study used data from wave two (W2) and wave three (W3) from the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) longitudinal online survey ( James et al, 2021 ). The study’s eligibility criteria required that at least one partner in the dyad was between the ages of 18–36, this was a first marriage for at least one partner in the dyad, and that the couple lived in the US.…”

Couple-Level Attachment Styles, Finances, and Marital Satisfaction: Mediational Analyses Among Young Adult Newlywed Couples

“…Recruitment at Time 1 started in 2015 September and ended in 2017 February. Upon the completion of the online survey at each time, each spouse received a $50.00 gift card as a compensation for time (for a detailed depiction of procedure, see James et al, 2021).…”