The Cohabitation Effect

Major findings related to the cohabitation effect

Background

·      More traditionally religious persons are less likely to cohabit prior to marriage

     Lillard, Brien, & Waite, 1995; Stanley et al., 2004; Thornton, Axinn, & Hill, 1992

·      Those with more traditional and less egalitarian role orientations are less likely to consider cohabitation outside of marriage.

     Lye & Waldron, 1997

·      Individuals with divorced parents are more likely to cohabit

     Cherlin & Chase-Lansdale, 1995; Kamp Dush et al., 2003; Teachman, 2003

·      Higher numbers of premarital cohabitation partners are associated with risk for divorce.

     Lichter & Qian, 2005; Teachman, 2003

General beliefs

·      Many young people believe cohabitation is a good way to test their relationships

     Johnson et al., 2002; Thornton & Young-DeMarco, 2001

·      Increasingly, young women in high school are less likely than young men to believe that marriage has advantages over cohabitation or staying single.

     from the University of Michigan Monitoring the Future survey, as reported by Popenoe & Whitehead, 2002

·      The very poor tend to believe it's better to have financial security before getting married, so they tend to cohabit longer before possibly entering marriage.

     Edin, Kefalas, & Reed, 2004

·      The desire to establish financial security prior to marriage is related to wanting a full, religious wedding, home ownership prior to marriage, and established financial responsibility in both partners. This desire, therefore, favors transitioning into marriage at later ages.

     Edin et al., 2004; Smock, Manning, & Porter, 2004

·      Cohabitation with more partners and/or for longer periods prior to marriage is associated with a reduction, over time, in esteem for marriage and childrearing

     Axinn & Barber, 1997; McGinnis, 2003

Relationship quality

·      Premarital cohabitation is associated with more negative communication in marriage, both on objective coding of couple interaction and self-report

     Cohan & Kleinbaum, 2002; Kline et al., 2004; Stanley et al., 2004; Thomson & Colella, 1992

·      Premarital cohabitation is associated with lower levels of marital satisfaction

     Brown, 2004; Brown & Booth, 1996; Nock, 1995; Stafford et al., 2004; Stanley et al., 2004

·      Premarital cohabitation is associated with higher perceived marital instability

     Kamp Dush et al., 2003; Stafford et al., 2004; Thomas & Colella, 1992

·      Premarital cohabitation is associated with greater likelihood of marital domestic aggression.

     Brownridge & Halli, 2000; Kline et al., 2004; Stanley et al., 2004

Divorce

·      Divorce is more likely among those who cohabited premaritally than those who did not cohabit, especially those who cohabit with more than one partner prior to marriage (Teachman) and non-Hispanic, white women (Philips & Sweeney).

     DeMaris & Rao, 1992; Kamp Dush et al., 2003; Philips & Sweeney, 2005; Teachman, 2003

Personal Vulnerabilities

·      Premarital cohabitation is associated with higher levels of depression and lower levels of self-esteem, as well as lower life satisfaction.

     Stafford et al., 2004

·      Premarital cohabitation is associated with having a greater likelihood of a history of delinquent behavior.

     Woods & Emery, 2002

Commitment

·      Premarital cohabitation is associated with lower levels of dedication to one’s spouse for men but not for women.

     Kline, Stanley, & Markman, in press; Stanley et al., 2004

·      Cohabiters with plans to marry have higher relationship quality than cohabiters without plans to marry.

     Brown & Booth, 1996; Brown, 2004

·      Those cohabiting prior to engagement score, on average, lower on a wide range of indices of marital quality compared to those who live together only after engagement or after marriage.

     Kline et al., 2004