TY - JOUR
AU - BOOTH, ALAN
AB - An extensive literature demonstrates a negative correlation between the presence of children and marital quality. Few of these studies are designed to test the reasons for this relationship. Using a national panel study, we examine two possible paths: that people who choose to have children differ from those who do not in ways that affect marital quality, and that having a child changes marital structure and process. The results of the analysis support neither hypothesis. Although marital quality deteriorated over the three-year period, the transition to parenthood does not seem to affect changes in marital happiness, interaction, disagreements, division of labor, satisfaction with division of labor, or number of marital problems. Having a child did, however, seem to deter divorce and permanent separation.
TI - The Transition to Parenthood and Marital Quality
JF - Journal of Family Issues
DO - 10.1177/019251385006004003
DA - 1985-12-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/sage/the-transition-to-parenthood-and-marital-quality-4udVpkuRap
SP - 435
EP - 449
VL - 6
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -