Changes in Marital Beliefs Among Emerging Adults

Brian J. Willoughby · Melissa Medaris · Spencer L. James · Kyle Bartholomew

32 citations0/0 files storedEmerging Adulthood

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Family Dynamics and Relationships Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Identity, Memory, and Therapy

Abstract

Although research on marital beliefs among emerging adults has increased in recent years, most studies assume that marital beliefs are static features of emerging adulthood. Using a sample of 134 emerging adults in the United States tracked over a 1-year period, we explored if these emerging adults exhibited changes in their marital beliefs over time and what predicted such changes. We found that emerging adults in the sample showed significant growth over the 1-year period in the importance they placed on marriage while at the same time expecting to place less importance on their eventual marital role. Staying single and breaking up with a romantic partner were both related to decreases in marital salience, while cohabiting between data collections was associated with decreases in marital centrality. Finally, stronger marital salience at Time 1 was predictive of decreased binge drinking at Time 2, net of Time 1 assessments of such behavior. Such findings validate previous theoretical assumptions regarding marital beliefs.

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References

1971Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method.2001Four Decades of Trends in Attitudes Toward Family Issues in the United States: The 1960s Through the 1990s 2005High Hopes but Even Higher Expectations: The Retreat From Marriage Among Low‐Income Couples 2007Generation XXX 2013The Challenge of Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood 2005Distinguishing Features of Emerging Adulthood 1995Attitudes, Values, and Entrance into Cohabitational Versus Marital Unions 2011Breaking up is hard to do: The impact of unmarried relationship dissolution on mental health and life satisfaction.

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2017Marriage Delay, Time to Play? Marital Horizons and Hooking Up in College 2019Following in your sibling’s steps: Sibling influence and young adults’ marital attitudes 2016Marital Beliefs Among African American Emerging Adults: The Roles of Community Context, Family Background, and Relationship Experiences

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