Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 4412 Sewell Social Sciences Building, 1180 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1393.
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Reexamining the Case for Marriage: Union Formation and Changes in Well-being
Article first published online: 11 JAN 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00873.x
Copyright © National Council on Family Relations, 2012
Additional Information
How to Cite
Musick, K. and Bumpass, L. (2012), Reexamining the Case for Marriage: Union Formation and Changes in Well-being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74: 1–18. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00873.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 11 JAN 2012
- Article first published online: 11 JAN 2012
- Abstract
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Keywords:
- cohabitation;
- family;
- marriage;
- stability;
- well-being
This article addresses open questions about the nature and meaning of the positive association between marriage and well-being, namely, the extent to which it is causal, shared with cohabitation, and stable over time. We relied on data from the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 2,737) and a modeling approach that controls for fixed differences between individuals by relating union transitions to changes in well-being. This study is unique in examining the persistence of changes in well-being as marriages and cohabitations progress (and potentially dissolve) over time. The effects of marriage and cohabitation are found to be similar across a range of measures tapping psychological well-being, health, and social ties. Where there are statistically significant differences, marriage is not always more advantageous. Overall, differences tend to be small and appear to dissipate over time, even when the greater instability of cohabitation is taken into account.