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Ready or Not?Criteria for Marriage Readiness Among Emerging Adults
Abstract
This study examined emerging adults' criteria for marriage readiness and explored how these criteria are associated with their current attitudes and behaviors. This article establishes the psychometric value of the Criteria for Marriage Readiness Questionnaire and reports on a study of 788 emerging adults recruited from five college sites across the country. Results showed that marriage readiness is viewed by emerging adults as a process of developing interpersonal competencies, making life-long commitments, and acquiring capacities to care for others. These findings suggest that many emerging adults regard becoming an adult and becoming ready for marriage as two distinct transitions in life, with the first involving a shift from being cared for by others to taking care of oneself and the second consisting of a transition from self-care to caring for others. Results also showed that young people's criteria for marriage readiness are associated with individual differences in their current risk taking and family formation values.
... Marriage is the transition phase into adulthood (8), so starting a family is one of the five adolescent life transitions (9). Thus, marriage is a development task that must be prepared well because early preparation leads adolescents to handle marriage life dynamics (10). The success key in family life is the readiness of individuals and their partner to carry out the role and function. ...
... Adolescents must prepare many things before entering married life. Only a few adolescents and parents meet the requirement to make a marriage decision (10). Adolescents' perception of their and their partner's readiness to marry can limit their educational viability and career prosperity (22). ...
... Moreover, biological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects also affect the marriage readiness of adolescents. Biologically, besides age, males and females must perform marriage preparation by maintaining their physical condition and sexual experience (10,23,27). Meanwhile, adolescents must be psychologically prepared to have intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships and encounter new roles and duties (22). ...
Readiness for marriage in adolescents aged 20-24 years shows readiness to change roles and new responsibilities as husband and wife, manage the family, and raise children. This study aims to obtain information and an overview of the readiness for marriage in adolescents in Indonesia aged 20-24 from 10 aspects of readiness. The research used a quantitative approach, targeting unmarried youth aged 20-24 in Indonesia. The instrument used is a structured questionnaire distributed via a Google Form ® link. Data analysis used the scoring method to measure the index of youth readiness in family life. This study classifies adolescents' readiness scores in family life into two categories: ready and not ready, with a cut-off of 80. If the readiness value is ≥80, it is categorized as ready, whereas if the readiness index value is <80, it is classified as not ready. The result shows the index of family readiness for adolescents aged 20-24 years in Indonesia is 79.21. It means that adolescents aged 20-24 years in Indonesia are still categorized as not ready to live with a family. The ten dimensions of readiness classified "as not yet ready" are financial, age and planning aspects of marriage, emotional, physical, intellectual, and social aspects. In contrast, readiness aspects categorized as "ready" are life skills, mental, interpersonal, and moral aspects.
... Several studies on marriage readiness have been conducted in Indonesia. Ningrum, Latifah, & Krisnatuti (2021) investigated key factors influencing marriage readiness among students; Karunia and Rahaju (2019) studied marriage readiness in emerging adults (individuals aged 18-25) based on the marriage readiness criteria from Ghalili, Etemadi, Ahmadi, and Fatehizadeh (2012);Mawaddah, Safrina, Mawarpuri, and Faradina (2019) studied early adulthood marriage readiness (18-25 years) in Aceh using the marriage readiness measurement tools from Carroll et al. (2009). Although there have been many studies on marriage readiness, the measurement tools used adopt instruments from abroad, such as those from Ghalili et al. (2012) from Iran and those from Carroll et al. (2009) from the United States. ...
... Ningrum, Latifah, & Krisnatuti (2021) investigated key factors influencing marriage readiness among students; Karunia and Rahaju (2019) studied marriage readiness in emerging adults (individuals aged 18-25) based on the marriage readiness criteria from Ghalili, Etemadi, Ahmadi, and Fatehizadeh (2012);Mawaddah, Safrina, Mawarpuri, and Faradina (2019) studied early adulthood marriage readiness (18-25 years) in Aceh using the marriage readiness measurement tools from Carroll et al. (2009). Although there have been many studies on marriage readiness, the measurement tools used adopt instruments from abroad, such as those from Ghalili et al. (2012) from Iran and those from Carroll et al. (2009) from the United States. ...
... Therefore, sources of good values in marriage are also found in culture, and it is essential to consider the cultural context of society in marriage research, including studies on readiness to enter marriage. For example, in Western culture, marriage is no longer seen as a significant event marking the progression into adulthood (Carroll et al., 2009). This view contrasts with Eastern culture, where marriage is still emphasized as an essential and significant event in life (Marphatia et al., 2017). ...
Marriage readiness is considered an important issue to be studied. The high rates of marital problems which impact social issues have been attributed to the lack of marriage readiness. Number of studies have tried to define and explain marriage readiness indices. However, there are various limitations due to how this concept is very much influenced by cultural factors, as is the case in Indonesia which is famous for its variety of cultures in every region. This study was conducted to make a comparison between perceived marriage readiness between Javanese people, as the representation of the largest population in Indonesia and regions outside Java as the comparison group. Data was collected using open-ended surveys with 207 participants coming from all over Indonesia. The results were analyzed using thematic coding which describes marriage readiness factors and personal perception of marriage readiness among Indonesians. Implications for this study are discussed, especially for evaluation and development of existing marital guidance programs in Indonesia.
... H3). Financial marital contexts may be associated with emerging adults' expected marital timing because finances are one of the most commonly perceived barriers to marriage for emerging adults (Carroll et al., 2009). Many emerging adults believe that financial independence should happen before marriage. ...
... In semistructured interviews, emerging adults described the following as conditions for financial readiness to marry: "having a job, reaching a certain career level, saving as much money as they could for their weddings, providing a good life for their children in the future, and providing sufficient financial support for their families" (Keldal & Yıldırım, 2022, p. 311). Quantitatively, most U.S. emerging adults believe that being financially independent from parents and others and being capable of financially supporting a family are necessary before marriage (Carroll et al., 2009). Thus, we expected that those who are more financially independent would expect to marry younger. ...
... In MPT, financial independence is considered a marital context (i.e., a specific belief about what context marriage "should" occur in or what individuals "should" accomplish before marriage; . Many emerging adults believe that to be ready to marry, they must first become financially independent (Carroll et al., 2009). At the same time, most emerging adults are financially dependent on their parents (e.g., living with parents and relying on parents to pay for expenses; Fry et al., 2020;Padilla-Walker et al., 2012). ...
Drawing from marital paradigms theory, we tested whether financial independence, materialism, and marital centrality are associated with romantic relationship flourishing—and whether these associations are mediated by expected marriage age—for a diverse sample of 1,063 U.S. emerging adults in unmarried romantic relationships (35% White, 21% Black, 20% Latinx, 13% Asian, 10% Multiracial or other). All significant findings had small or small–medium effect sizes. Higher marital centrality was associated with higher relationship flourishing, partially mediated by earlier expected marriage age. Higher financial independence was associated with higher relationship flourishing. Materialism was not associated with relationship flourishing among unmarried emerging adults, but in a post hoc analysis with engaged and married emerging adults, higher materialism was associated with lower relationship flourishing. Finally, when emerging adults expected to marry later, this was associated with less flourishing dating relationships. Expected marriage timing may be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
... Scholars have developed theories and frameworks that emphasize when relational transitions occur, such as marital paradigms, which suggests that the timing of marriage can be better understood by recognizing how much importance an emerging adult places on marriage, and when/if they expect to marry (Willoughby et al., 2015). Marital paradigms have also been shown to be predictive of transitioning to marriage (Carroll et al., 2007(Carroll et al., , 2009Willoughby, 2014). ...
... Researchers have noted that marital paradigms and sociodemographic characteristics are consistent predictors of marrying in early emerging adulthood (Amato & Kane, 2011;Carroll et al., 2007;Gaughan, 2002;Uecker & Stokes, 2008;Willoughby, 2014). In a similar vein, scholars have also found that cohabitation may be predicted based on similar sociodemographic factors (Axinn & Thornton, 1996;Carroll et al., 2009;Gaughan, 2002;Raley et al., 2015;Smock & Manning, 2004;Thornton et al., 1995). Despite the breadth of research which has examined these factors individually, no previous study has attempted to examine these factors concurrently within a large sample to examine how these variables may differentially predict transitions to early marriage and cohabitation. ...
... For the purposes of the current study, predictors of union transitions can be conceptualized into two broad categories: marital paradigms and sociodemographic factors. One's marital paradigm (including timing and salience) have been shown to predict early marriage (Carroll et al., 2007(Carroll et al., , 2009Willoughby, 2014). Sociodemographic factors associated with marriage and cohabitation include religious attendance, education, income, gender, race, as well as family of origin factors (Amato & Kane, 2011;Phillips & Sweeney, 2005;Smock & Manning, 2004;Uecker & Stokes, 2008). ...
This study analyzes different factors predicting both cohabitation and early marriage among emerging adults. Using a large ( n = 1,510), national, longitudinal sample of emerging adults in the United States, predictors of cohabitation and early marriage were examined. Predictors included marital paradigms (marital salience and expected age of marriage) and sociodemographic characteristics (religious attendance, parents’ marital status, parents’ education, college attendance, income, gender, and race). We utilized a Cox proportional hazards model to run the analyses. Results showed that marital paradigms were the most consistent predictors of early marriage, while few sociodemographic factors were significant. On the other hand, cohabitation was most consistently predicted by sociodemographic factors, with no associations being significant with marital paradigms. These findings suggest that decisions to marry and cohabit may not be as closely interconnected as previously conceptualized. Future directions and limitations are also discussed.
... For example, 82% of emerging adults aged 18-25 report money is a significant source of stress (American Psychological Association, 2022) and about half of emerging adults live with a parent (Fry et al., 2020)-perhaps out of financial necessity for some. In essence, financial challenges like these could lead to sufficient financial stress that emerging adults adopt certain beliefs about finances (e.g., believing certain financial milestones should happen prior to marriage; Carroll et al., 2009) so that they can overcome financial challenges before entering the sought-after goal of marriage (Hymowitz et al., 2013). ...
... Although beliefs about finances regarding marriage readiness seem to be common among emerging adults (Carroll et al., 2009;Keldal & Yıldırım, 2022;Willoughby & James, 2017), we are not aware of any scholarship that has examined the longitudinal impact of financial barrier beliefs about marriage on emerging adults' debt and assets. On the one hand, seeking for financial independence prior to marriage Over 80% of emerging adults aged 18-26 in the United States (U.S.) report that marriage is an at least somewhat important part of their future (Hymowitz et al., 2013). ...
... However, the median marriage age in the U.S. has increased over the past 50 years from 21 to 28 for women and from 23 to 30 for men-with little indication of leveling off (Hawkins et al., 2022). One aspect that may contribute to this increasing delay in marriage is beliefs about finances as they relate to marriage readiness (Carroll et al., 2009;Gibson-Davis et al., 2005;Keldal & Yıldırım, 2022;Willoughby & James, 2017). For example, Carroll et al. (2009) found that in order to be ready for marriage, 91% of their sample of emerging adults believed financial independence from their parents or others is necessary. ...
Scholars have found that among emerging adults, financial barrier beliefs about marriage—like believing financial independence should be achieved prior to marriage—appear to be common. Despite the prevalence of beliefs about finances regarding marriage readiness, scholars have not established whether and how these financial barrier beliefs about marriage predict emerging adults’ debt and assets over time. Through the lens of marital paradigms theory, we sought to address this gap by examining whether and how the initial level and changes in financial barrier beliefs about marriage predict changes in young emerging adults’ debt and assets across four waves of data from 1,033 young U.S. emerging adults. We found that, on average, financial barrier beliefs about marriage increased, assets were relatively stable, and debt increased over the early years of emerging adulthood. We also found that increases in emerging adults’ agreement with financial barrier beliefs like ‘finances are a barrier to marriage’ over time were associated with a decrease in assets over time. However, neither the initial level nor changes in financial barrier beliefs about marriage predicted changes in debt over time. In short, our findings provide some evidence that beliefs like a certain amount of money should be saved before marriage, somewhat paradoxically, do not appear to help young emerging adults build their assets.
... Today, the average age at first marriage is approximately 28 for women and 30 for men (Payne, 2021). For these reasons, researchers have sought to understand how unmarried young adults, especially those who hope and expect to marry someday, think about the timing of marriage in the lives, highlighting not only specific ages at which young adults hope to marrythe ideal for most is approximately 25 (Carroll et al., 2009;Willoughby & James, 2017)but also their conceptions of marital readiness (Carroll et al., 2009;Edin et al., 2004;Edin & Reed, 2005;Gibson-Davis et al., 2005;Willoughby & James, 2017). Influenced in part by marital horizons and marital paradigms frameworks, researchers have documented that young adults see life accomplishments like completing a college education and/or achieving financial stability as well as personal qualities like maturity as symbolic indicators of marital readiness (Carroll et al., 2007;Willoughby et al., 2015;Willoughby, Carroll et al., 2012;Willoughby, Olson et al., 2012). ...
... Today, the average age at first marriage is approximately 28 for women and 30 for men (Payne, 2021). For these reasons, researchers have sought to understand how unmarried young adults, especially those who hope and expect to marry someday, think about the timing of marriage in the lives, highlighting not only specific ages at which young adults hope to marrythe ideal for most is approximately 25 (Carroll et al., 2009;Willoughby & James, 2017)but also their conceptions of marital readiness (Carroll et al., 2009;Edin et al., 2004;Edin & Reed, 2005;Gibson-Davis et al., 2005;Willoughby & James, 2017). Influenced in part by marital horizons and marital paradigms frameworks, researchers have documented that young adults see life accomplishments like completing a college education and/or achieving financial stability as well as personal qualities like maturity as symbolic indicators of marital readiness (Carroll et al., 2007;Willoughby et al., 2015;Willoughby, Carroll et al., 2012;Willoughby, Olson et al., 2012). ...
... The marital paradigms framework outlines multiple ways that adolescents and young adults might think about marriage, including both how they might think about the marital relationship itself and how they might think about the circumstances surrounding the transition to marriage (Willoughby et al., 2015). In terms of age, research suggests that young adults most often regard 25 as the ideal age at which to marry (Carroll et al., 2009;Willoughby & James, 2017). For example, in their survey of over 700 young adults, Willoughby and James (2017, p. 49) found that 38% pointed to 25 as the exact age at which they would like to marry. ...
According to prior research, the average age at first marriage has steadily increased in the US due in large part to the significance that young adults place on marriage and their evolving conceptions of marital readiness. However, despite the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, there is a significant oversight of sexual minorities in this research. To address this, we draw upon qualitative data collected through an online survey to explore how our sample of unmarried sexual minority young adults (N=256) think about marital timing. The results of our thematic analysis show that those in our sample often think about marital timing in terms of "checkpoints," circumstances or conditions such as financial security, college education, and/or personal maturity that they hope to achieve prior to getting married. Our survey respondents also reported considering their families and broader norms regarding age at marriage, and even those who indicated not wanting to marry reported that they might do so if their partner wants to marry, or they suddenly need the legal rights or benefits associated with marriage. These results suggest that sexual minority young adults think about marital timing and readiness in ways that are quite like heterosexual young adults.
... Some extensively researched marriage readiness indicators include self-perceived readiness to marry (Carroll et al., 2009) marital expectations (Wright, Simmons, & Campbell, 2007) individual and personality traits such as emotional health, self-concept, interpersonal skills and sociability (Larson & Holman, 1994) and socio-demographic factors such as quality of parents' marriage and sociocultural factors (i.e., age at marriage, education, income, occupation, class, race, and gender (Weiss, 2014). As early as nearly 50 years ago, Blood (1976) insinuated that marriage readiness was a neglected area in family studies that ought to be considered for an endearing future of productive marriage and family life. ...
... In relation to emotional stability and maturity as an indicator of marriage competence, Carroll et al. (2009) administered the criteria for marriage readiness questionnaire to 788 emerging adults and found that they viewed marriage readiness as a process of developing interpersonal competencies, making life-long commitments, and acquiring capacities to care for others. Other studies have identified emotional intelligence as not just a variable of marriage readiness but also an important factor of marriage adjustment, satisfaction and overall wellbeing (e.g. ...
... But they also held up relationship qualities such as commitment to one another, love, support and acceptance. In line with this, Carroll et al. (2009) found the importance of self-perceived readiness to marry while (Wright et al., 2007) emphasized the importance of self-perceived marital expectations which become vectors of determining marriage readiness. On their part, Larson and Holman (1994) referred to the importance of individual and personality traits such as emotional health, self-concept, interpersonal skills and sociability as defining criteria for marriage readiness. ...
While marriage is still strongly held as a major transition event for young people moving through emerging adulthood to full adult status, their conceptions of marriage readiness are diverse, and individually and socio-culturally rooted but also contested. Where their perceptions of marriage readiness are not contested, their beliefs about what it means to be ready for marriage are somewhat paradoxical in most cases. This paper presents descriptive data on youth-held conceptions of marriage readiness, the pathways to marriage and marital quality indicators for future wellbeing among some emerging adults in the University of Buea in Cameroon. A sample of 124 emerging adults, aged 18-30 responded to an adapted Criteria for Marriage Readiness questionnaire whose reliability was 0.848. Data showed that 72.9% of respondents felt that the criteria defined in the study were necessary for marriage readiness; whereas 27.1% did not see the criteria as necessary. Sought whether the criteria defined were important and at what level for future marital quality and wellbeing, 48.7% felt that the criteria defined were very important, 18.6% said the criteria were quite important, 17% maintained that the criteria defined were slightly important while 15.7% felt that the criteria were not at all important. Generally, thinking about marriage and marriage readiness against future marital satisfaction and wellbeing was an important function in the lives of emerging adults. It was concluded that conceptions of marriage readiness among them do not only connote readiness for marriage but further predict future marital satisfaction and wellbeing.
... Hall points out the multidimensional dimension of marital beliefs (Hall, 2006) and has expressed that individuals have multiple convictions that go beyond marriage as an institution. Against this theory, Carroll et al. (2007Carroll et al. ( , 2009, who focused more on what prenuptial goals people set in relation to the life cycle trajectory. Carroll et al. (2007Carroll et al. ( , 2009 describe in the study that for each young adult to have a marital horizon, marriage must be conceptualized as a set of timing beliefs in the context of their future plans, including timing of marriage, attribution to marriage, and marital readiness including sexual behavior. ...
... Against this theory, Carroll et al. (2007Carroll et al. ( , 2009, who focused more on what prenuptial goals people set in relation to the life cycle trajectory. Carroll et al. (2007Carroll et al. ( , 2009 describe in the study that for each young adult to have a marital horizon, marriage must be conceptualized as a set of timing beliefs in the context of their future plans, including timing of marriage, attribution to marriage, and marital readiness including sexual behavior. These dimensions of marital attitudes are associated with a wide range of individual attitudes towards marriage and individual behavior. ...
... Studies by Carroll (2009) andHall (2006) confirm that some beliefs about marriage are multidimensional, but each involves a unique and different focus on marriage. ...
The monograph points to the consequences of a process of changes in demographic behavior that affect the value of the family in society and people's attitudes towards marriage.
The monograph summarizes the theoretical and empirical knowledge of what partnership the young generation prefers today and what attitudes they hold towards marriage and premarital sex or cohabitation.
The monograph is based on research to determine the attitudes of young people aged 20-40 to marriage and premarital sex using the MAES questionnaire. Attitudes towards marriage are examined in relation to demographic indicators, opinions on cohabitation or in the context of parenthood and ways of division of housework. The basic research tool was a standardized MAES questionnaire consisting of three dimensions: 1. Willingness to marry; 2. General attitudes to marriage and 3. Aspects of marriage. The research sample consisted of 648 young people aged 20-40 who are not married. Data collection was performed in 2018-2019, then the data were statistically processed by SPSS 17.0 program. Grades 1 and 2 were performed, pivot tables were created and hypotheses were tested based on Pearson correlation coefficient and Chi quadratic test.
... Not feeling ready for marriage can play an important role in keeping young people away from marriage. Previous studies (Carroll et al., 2009;Karada g, 2006) have reported that more than half of young people did not feel ready for marriage. Marital readiness is regarded a factor facilitating the decision to marry (Hurt, 2014), and it has a positive association with marital satisfaction (Holman et al., 1994). ...
... Research on marital readiness includes studies on measurement tool development (Carroll et al., 2009;Keeler, 1962;Sporakowski, 1968). In two early approaches (Keeler, 1962;Sporakowski, 1968), the research focused on dimensions related to developmental readiness, social skills, and homemaking skills. ...
... Other research has included a focus on broader constructs that may influence readiness for marriage. For example, Carroll et al. (2009) classified the criteria for marital readiness under six dimensions: norm compliance, family capacities, role transitions, interpersonal competencies, intrapersonal competencies, and sexual experience. ...
Objective
The purpose of this study was to determine common themes for marital readiness, to evaluate the generalization to broader samples consisting of single individuals, and to examine the factors associated with marital readiness.
Background
Readiness for marriage is essential to the formation of a healthy marital union. Therefore, it is important to conceptualize marital readiness.
Method
This study was designed using the exploratory sequential design, a mixed-methods research approach. This research was carried out with a total of 1523 (865 female, 658 male) unmarried Turkish young adults in three study groups. In the data analysis, thematic analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and regression analysis were used.
Results
Six themes were determined as the factors to which single young adults attach importance for marital readiness. These themes were financial readiness, emotional readiness, interpersonal relationship readiness, family life and family role readiness, sexual readiness, and social responsibility readiness.
Conclusion
The Marital Readiness Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool. The variables of age, ideal marital age, and the ideal amount of time needed to get to know a partner before marriage were revealed to be related to marital readiness.
Implications
Mental health professionals can benefit from the results of this research when designing marriage preparation programs.
... Being mentally, financially, socially, and spiritually ready is crucial for a successful family life 9 . To establish a harmonious family, readiness for married life from these four dimensions are required 14,15 . The mental capacity involves emotional maturity, respect for each other, the ability to adjust to the partner, take responsibility, and have emotional control 16 . ...
... According to studies, 40-45% of all first marriages end in divorce, and about one-third of marriages are considered disharmonious 19 . This study suggests that marital functioning and spouses' mental health are intertwined 15,20,21 . Thus, addressing marital problems can also help improve spouses' mental health 20 . ...
Mental well-being is inherent to one's overall health and societal harmony, empowering individuals to achieve their full potential and establish meaningful connections with others. Mental health literacy will thus possibly improve the preparation of prospective brides towards marriage, so that it will be lead to a healthy and happy marriage. Mental health literacy will thus possibly improve the preparation of prospective brides towards marriage, so that it will lead to a healthy and happy marriage. The researcher reported a scoping review of peer-reviewed articles to identify the importance of mental health literacy for brides and grooms about to be married about to be married. It was adopted only five of the six steps of Arskey and O’Malley’s framework to facilitate scoping of 998 articles published between 2013-2024 from databases (MEDLINE/Pubmed, Proquest, Science Direct with 12 articles reviewed. Our findings show that Our findings show that mental health of prospective brides of prospective brides can be improved by increasing their their mental health literacy. Improving mental health literacy requires premarital mental health screening policies, awareness campaigns, training courses, and educational workshops and can be through digital-based mass media/social media.
... Existing literature focuses on the role of parental SES in influencing demographic behaviours (Mooyaart and Liefbroer, 2016;Brons et al., 2017;Koops et al., 2017;Liefbroer and Zoutewelle-Terovan, 2021), missing that propensity towards certain behaviours can already be recognised early on in the life course. Some studies examine partnership intentions, often within a certain timeframe (Liefbroer and De Jong Gierveld, 1993;Carroll et al., 2007Carroll et al., , 2009; Thornton et al., 2007;Willoughby and Carroll 2015;Vergauwen et al., 2017;Billari et al., 2019), norms, preferences or attitudes (Axinn and Thornton, 1992;Carroll et al., 2007;Liefbroer and Billari, 2010;Settersten and Ray, 2010;Keijer et al., 2016;Allendorf et al., 2021). Existing literature focusing on the expectations has considered marriage only (Gassanov et al., 2008) or has also dealt with both expectations for marriage and cohabitation. ...
... This relationship exists as higher educational aspirations are generally connected to a successful career and enough earnings to maintain the same socioeconomic well-being experienced in childhood (Thornton et al., 2007). Thus, compared to their counterparts who tend to have low aspirations to attend college or university, young adults with higher educational aspirations should expect brighter economic horizons and achieve financial independence and enough appeal to enter a financially demanding relationship such as marriage (Carroll et al., 2009;Willoughby and Carroll 2015;Arocho and Kamp Dush, 2018). In contrast, those with more modest educational aspirations will have less optimistic expectations regarding their economic prospects and their ability to enter a marriage or be attractive marital partners (Arocho, 2021). ...
... Seiring dengan perubahan zaman, belum tentu kesiapan menikah menurut pendapat para ahli sesuai dengan kesiapan menikah yang dibutuhkan oleh individu saat ini. Dengan demikian, kriteria kesiapan menikah adalah kriteria yang diyakini perlu dipenuhi sebelum dianggap siap untuk menikah (Carroll et al., 2009). ...
... Guideline wawancara pada penelitian ini disusun berdasarkan komponen Kriteria Kesiapan Menikah(Carroll et al., 2009) dan Keyakinan Paradoks Kesiapan Menikah(Badger, 2005). Kriteria kesiapan menikah adalah kriteria yang diyakini perlu dipenuhi sebelum dianggap siap untuk menikah(Carroll et al., 2009). Sedangkan skala yang digunakan adalah skala kesiapan menikah dari Wulandari(2020). ...
One-fifth of Indonesia's population engages in child marriage. Child marriages are generally not accompanied by readiness for marriage, which risks negative impacts in the future. This study aims to examine the beliefs of marriage dispensation applicant's child regarding marriage readiness. The approach used was a mixed method embedded design, where qualitative methods are preferred. Data was collected through interviews, observation, and marriage readiness scale. Four children of marriage dispensation applicants at the Malang Regency were research participants. The results showed that participants have a paradoxical beliefs in marriage readiness. Western marriage readiness paradox beliefs were found, such as older age is more ideal, premarital sex strengthens relationships and cohabitation brings benefits. However, these beliefs were not always aligned to participants' behavior. The belief that 20s is the ideal age for marriage also did not align. Although they believed that they were ready for marriage, their readiness was in the moderate category. They acted contrary on marriage readiness preparation due to the belief that premarital sex had no impact on marriage and the subjective norm that premarital sex was normal. This results can be used as a basis for providing education on marriage readiness and risky sexual behavior, especially in adolescents.
... The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which attitudes about marriage (i.e., desire, importance, and expectation) relate to young adults' current relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, intimacy, and commitment). We used the Marital Horizon Theory as a lens through which to understand young adults' marital attitudes and relationship quality (Carroll et al., 2007(Carroll et al., , 2009). This theory posits that for young adults, marriage is on the "horizon." ...
... These results partially confirm our hypotheses about the overall impact of martial attitudes on relationship quality. Martial Horizon Theory (Carroll et al., 2007(Carroll et al., , 2009 adults see marriage as something happening in the future. Considering current marriage trends and attitudes regarding the importance and expectation of marriage, we expected that the desire to be currently married would be less associated with relationship quality than would expectation and importance. ...
Research has shown that for young adults, marital attitudes (e.g., desire, importance, and expectation) are associated with relationship quality. However, how this association plays out for young adults of color is less known. Additionally, the influence of skin tone perception on the relationship between marital attitudes and relationship quality remains understudied. To explore these associations, the authors examined African American and Latinx young adults (N = 57, Mage = 20.71 years, SD = 1.28; 75.4% female) attending a Midwestern university. Exploratory results indicated that marital expectations were positively associated with relationship quality in that young adults who expected to marry one day, reported greater relationship satisfaction, commitment, and intimacy in their current relationships. Additionally, skin tone perception moderated the association between marital attitudes and relationship quality in two ways (i.e., between expectations and satisfaction and between importance and intimacy). Collectively, findings suggest that differing levels of marital attitudes and skin tone perception contributes to young adults’ perceptions of relationship quality. Considering these psychological factors of attitudes, skin tone perception, and relationship quality, together with systemic racial/ethnic discrimination, the authors discuss future research and practice considerations.
... Furthermore, age, living arrangements, occupation, and relationship status will be related to at least some marital beliefs. Particularly, undertaking some of the traditional roles of adulthood may lead to considering marriage as a more approachable goal (Carroll et al., 2009). In this sense, we expect younger adults who live with their parents, are full-time students or remain single to hold more negative or distant beliefs toward marriage. ...
... In general, the occupation did not show a significant correlation with the different marital groups. Even though employment has been seen as a prerequisite for marriage (Carroll et al., 2009), only to be working and studying appears to be related to the different classes, with a higher proportion in the indifferent class. In terms of their living arrangements, living alone, with a partner, or with parents was related to marital paradigms, suggesting that traditional transitions matter when it comes to marital dispositions. ...
Young adults’ beliefs about life-long commitment such as marriage are decisive when making decisions and setting life priorities. Using a representative sample of Spanish emerging adults (ages 18–29), we explored the relationship between beliefs about marriage and life priorities (also called ultimate concerns). Using latent class analysis, we found six different marital paradigms among the population: indifferent, reject, contextual, hesitant, convinced, and traditionalist. These groups were significantly different in their life priorities—for example, in the importance they assign to parenting or their professional career. The traits of emerging adults in each paradigm helped explain differences in risk-taking and sexual behaviors, particularly for men. In sum, marital beliefs are relevant when seeking to understand the commitments, decisions, and behaviors of emerging adults.
... The samples wer selected by quota sampling technique. Researcher used the CMRQ (Criteria Marriage Readiness Questionare) that was developed by Carroll, et al (2009). Data is analyzed using independent sample t-test, that showed p=0,044 ( p<0,05 ). ...
... Semakin dini kesiapan menikah dilakukan, maka akan semakin siap individu menghadapi pernikahan (Carroll, Badger, Willoughby, Nelson, Madsen, & Barry, 2009). Perempuan disebutkan sebagai individu yang cenderung mempersiapkan diri lebih dini untuk menikah dibandingkan laki-laki. ...
Kesiapan Menikah adalah sebuah proses persiapan yang dilakukan oleh pasangan yang ingin menikah guna menghindari konflik serta mencapai pernikahan yang bahagia. Kesiapan menikah yang baik akan memengaruhi pada pernikahan yang dijalani dan mengurangi terjadi perceraian. Kesiapan menikah harus dilakukan oleh laki-laki dan perempuan guna mencapai kehidupan rumah tangga yang sejahtera. Perbedaan karakteristik sikap, dan pikiran antara laki-laki dan perempuan ikut berkontribusi dalam proses kesiapan menikah individu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat perbedaan kesiapan menikah pada dewasa awal ditinjau dari jenis kelamin di Kota Banda Aceh. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif dengan jenis komparatif dengan kriteria dewasa awal usia 18-25 tahun yang terdiri dari 155 subjek laki-laki dan 155 subjek perempuan. Sampel penelitian dipilih menggunakan teknik quota sampling, data dikumpulkan menggunakan skala kesiapan menikah yang dimodifikasi dari CMRQ (Criteria Marriage Readiness Questionare) yang disusun oleh Carroll, dkk (2009). Analisis data menggunakan teknik independent sample t-test, dengan hasil p=0,044 (p<0,05). Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan kesiapan menikah antara laki-laki dan perempuan dewasa awal di Banda Aceh. Adapun kesiapan menikah cenderung lebih tinggi pada perempuan dari pada laki-laki dengan perbedaan yang sangat tipis.
... Firstly, spending unwisely creates financial stress in the marriage and secondly high premium on money places less responsive to their partner and less focused on the relationship. Carroll, Badger, Willoughby, Nelson, Madsen, and McNamara Barry, (2009) believe that the premium on materialism hinges on the transition to self-care. Couples that face the above-highlighted challenges will always struggle to stay out of conflict. ...
... Moreover, social class played a strong role in shaping expectations and preparations for both marriage and childbirth, particularly when considering religious characteristics (Tevington 2018). Carroll et al. (2009) argued that US women's readiness for marriage involved factors such as the ability to support and care for a family, developing competencies for social relationships, and considerations of role transitions linked to completing education, establishing a career, and achieving financial independence. These considerations were equally emphasized by both sex in their readiness for marriage. ...
The aim of this study is to explore the multidimensional relationships among factors influencing decision-making processes regarding women’s willingness to marry and childbirth in South Korea with recognizing the context of family development in East Asian cultures. To this end, we employed three different analytical approaches, including classification tree modeling, Cox proportional hazard modeling, and permutation feature importance evaluation. Leveraging longitudinal data specific to Korean women, we highlighted the significance of socio-economic factors in family development dynamics. Our findings revealed that financial stability played a crucial role. Unmarried women’s willingness to marry was influenced by their perspectives on economic stability, while households’ consumption capacity and financial capability determined childbirth decisions and timing. We observed a trend of postponed marriage among women in their marriageable age range, particularly those with stable economic situations, reflecting a prevalent trend of skepticism of marriage in Korean society. Additional findings related to values, cultural factors, and personal happiness also suggested the challenges that discourage younger generations from entering into marriage and starting families in South Korea. By offering insights into these dynamics, our study provides practical implications for addressing the obstacles faced, contributing to a better understanding of family development dynamics.
... Social change has changed many social and cultural views regarding marriage and family formation (Izzo, 2022;Kefalas et al., 2011). In a study by Carroll et al (2009), in previous generations, marriage was seen as the ultimate transition to maturity. However, research suggests that the majority of Gen Z today no longer consider marriage and other important social events (for example, finishing school, becoming parents, etc.) as important criteria for adulthood (Nelson & Barry, 2005). ...
... This is in line with research conducted by the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (2018) which states that marriage readiness in Indonesia has increased with the high public awareness of the importance of marriage preparation and better access to information such as social media and the internet. According to Carroll et al. (2009) explain that marriage readiness is a process of developing 9 interpersonal skills, gaining the capacity to care for others, and carrying out lifelong commitments. However, most of the readiness to marry in the financial readiness dimension is categorized as not ready. ...
Indonesia has experienced a decline in marriage rates in the last ten years. Religiosity and social support have an important role in preparing individuals for marriage. This study aims to analyze the influence of young adult characteristics, family characteristics, religiosity, social support, on marital readiness in the young adult age group. The research design used was a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. This study involved unmarried young adults aged 21 to 30 years. Respondents in this study totaled 60. The research location was in the Central Bogor Sub-district, Bogor City, West Java. Nonprobability sampling was conducted using purposive sampling technique. The results of the t test obtained a significant difference between the religiosity of men and women. The correlation test shows that there is a significant positive relationship between respondents' age, number of families, religiosity, social support and marital readiness. The regression test results show that income, number of family members, and religiosity have a significant positive effect on marital readines.
... MPT posits that various marital beliefs influence intentions, decisions and behaviours that have consequences for marriage, either directly (for example, beliefs that guide behaviour while one is married) or indirectly (for example, beliefs that guide dating and sexual patterns, which establish routines and expectations that shape an eventual marriage). Based on the premise of anticipatory socialisation, young adults learn about and prepare for adult roles, including marriage, as such roles become more relevant to their lives (Arnett, 2000;Carroll et al, 2009). This process can influence their trajectories towards (or away from) marriage. ...
Marital paradigm theory (MPT) asserts that societal and cultural norms and values contribute to marital beliefs. The current research examines a tenet of MPT that marital salience – a belief about the importance of getting married – and marital centrality – a belief about the importance or weight assigned to the spousal role once married – are related but distinct concepts such that individuals can diverge in their endorsement of each (for example, highly endorse one but not the other). Data from an online, anonymous survey of 4,060 emerging adults were used to group participants into a typology of low salience-low centrality, high salience-high centrality, low salience-high centrality, and high salience-low centrality. Groups were compared across background characteristics and marital meaning beliefs. Several patterns of differences among predictors were identified and discussed in the context of how the high salience-low centrality group compared with the other groups. Overall findings were consistent with MPT.
... INTRODUCTION Marriage is a significant decision about a person's needs for intimacy [1], forming a family [2], and complying with familial [3], social [4], and religious norms. Marital readiness, also called marital aptitude [5], is an essential skill for marriage [6], is a subjective evaluation to face the difficulties and responsibilities of married life [7], and a perception of getting married and selecting a partner [8]. The importance of marital readiness is highly established through its positive associations with future marital satisfaction [9] and its role in reducing the divorce rate [10]. ...
Marital readiness has been regarded as a significant factor in a person’s decision-making process about marriage. Researchers have analyzed several psychosocial factors that play a role in increasing or decreasing marital readiness. However, the big five personality traits and psychosocial health were not studied earlier in relation to marital readiness. The current study was the first ever that analyzed the predictive role of the five big personality traits and psychosocial health in marital readiness. The study involved 1466 unmarried adult male and female participants. ‘Sukoon Marital Readiness Scale,’ ‘Psychosocial Health Evaluator,’ and Big-Five Inventory were administered along with a demographic sheet. Extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and psychosocial health were revealed as strong predictors of marital readiness. Men had significantly higher levels of marital readiness as compared to women. The current study was regarded as a novel and worthwhile contribution to the fields of personality, mental health, and marital readiness.
... Due to changes in marital relationships in recent years, research focusing on marriage attitudes and marriage plans of young adults and adolescents has become more common [31][32][33][34][35][36]. When the literature is examined, some studies examining the relationship between marriage attitude and gender [37,38] reveal that women develop more positive attitudes than men, while some studies [26] showed that men have more positive attitudes towards marriage. ...
The research aims to examine the attitudes of individuals who are victims of abuse and those who are not towards marriage in terms of ambivalent sexism. The research study group consists of 718 individuals between the ages of 18–48. Research data were collected with the Inonu Marriage Attitude Scale and Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. As a result of the correlation analysis, it was concluded that the marriage attitude was positively and significantly correlated with hostile and protective sexism. However, since the relationship between hostile sexism and attitudes towards marriage is lower than that of protective sexism, hostile sexism was not included in the model as a control variable. In the covariance analysis, it is seen that protective sexism and sexual abuse predict the attitude towards marriage at a statistically significant level. In addition, when the effect of sexual abuse on the attitude towards marriage was examined by controlling the protective sexism variable, it was found that it was statistically significant without the effect of sexism. According to the findings, it was determined that individuals who were not victims of sexual abuse had higher attitudes towards marriage than those who were victims.
... Although emerging adults hold a positive attitude towards marriage, they may have hesitations while transforming their views into actions. Indeed, Carroll et al. (2009) reported that most emerging adults do not feel ready for marriage. Willoughby and Carroll (2010) reported that only a small percentage of the emerging adults would like to be married now, more than half believe that cohabitation is acceptable with or without a marriage plan, and more than half have an experience of sexual intercourse. ...
in this unique life period to form a marital union. However, the affective factors shaping emerging adults’ marriage beliefs are multifarious and merit further attention. Therefore, the ultimate goal of this research was to elucidate whether the family of origin’s quality and marriage age of parents were predictors of emerging adults’ ideal marriage age and the ideal amount of time needed to get to know a partner before marriage. The study group consisted of 500 unmarried university students and graduates in Turkey. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the marital timing of emerging adults was linked to a variety of familial factors. The ideal marital age of emerging adults was significantly predicted by the mother’s marital age, parents’ marital happiness and age. Later mother marriage age was correlated with later ideal age of marriage. Higher levels of perceived happiness in parents’ marriage were associated with earlier ideal age of marriage. Additionally, the mother’s marriage age and emerging adults’ relationship status and age were significant predictors of the ideal amount of time to get to know a partner before marriage. Later mother’s marriage age and having a romantic relationship was linked to a longer time to get to know a partner before marriage. Being older was also related to a shorter time to get to know a partner before marriage and the later ideal age of marriage. The ideal marital age is around 26 years old. Only 5% of emerging adults feel ready to get married. More than two-thirds of emerging adults do not want their marriage to resemble their parents’ marriage. Besides, most emerging adults give priority to a career in their life plans.
... Although emerging adults hold a positive attitude towards marriage, they may have hesitations while transforming their views into actions. Indeed, Carroll et al. (2009) reported that most emerging adults do not feel ready for marriage. Willoughby and Carroll (2010) reported that only a small percentage of the emerging adults would like to be married now, more than half believe that cohabitation is acceptable with or without a marriage plan, and more than half have an experience of sexual intercourse. ...
Understanding marital beliefs during emerging adulthood is notably important as it might help emerging adults create a path in this unique life period to form a marital union. However, the affective factors shaping emerging adults’ marriage beliefs are multifarious and merit further attention. Therefore, the ultimate goal of this research was to elucidate whether the family of origin’s quality and marriage age of parents were predictors of emerging adults’ ideal marriage age and the ideal amount of time needed to get to know a partner before marriage. The study group consisted of 500 unmarried university students and graduates in Turkey. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to analyze the data. The findings revealed that the marital timing of emerging adults was linked to a variety of familial factors. The ideal marital age of emerging adults was significantly predicted by the mother’s marital age, parents’ marital happiness and age. Later mother marriage age was correlated with later ideal age of marriage. Higher levels of perceived happiness in parents’ marriage was associated with earlier ideal age of marriage. Additionally, the mother’s marriage age and emerging adults’ relationship status and age were significant predictors of the ideal amount of time to get to know a partner before marriage. Later mother’s marriage age and having a romantic relationship was linked to a longer time to get to know a partner before marriage. Being older was also related to a shorter time to get to know a partner before marriage and the later ideal age of marriage. The ideal marital age is around 26 years old. Only 5% of emerging adults feel ready to get married. More than two-thirds of emerging adults do not want their marriage to resemble their parents’ marriage. Besides, most emerging adults give priority to a career in their life plans.
... Respondents said that as men they have a feeling of obligation to be able to direct relationships and give good things to their female partners. According to Carroll, Badger, Willoughby, Nelson, Madsen, and McNamara Barry (2009) and Willoughby and James (2017) , it is common for individuals in their late teens and early adulthood to perceive marriage as a goal. The need for men to be able to direct relationships is related to the concept of fatherhood and the role of the father in a family which must be able to provide affection, care for, and provide financial support (Darwin, 1999;Harmaini, Shofiah, & Yulianti, 2015). ...
Adolescence is a transition phase from childhood to adulthood with various physical, cognitive, and psychosocial adjustments. A romantic relationship or dating is a phenomenon that allows adolescents to explore their intimacy and sexuality. However, dating can also have numerous negative impacts on adolescents such as a higher risk of being infected by sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy. This study aims to understand dating experiences in adolescents. The method used in this study is qualitative research with a phenomenological approach. Using individual analysis units, the participants in this study were five early to late adolescents from Bali aged 12-21 years who are currently dating. The data analysis process is conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) technique contains five steps. Based on the analysis process, this study produced findings where there was interaction in adolescents before establishing a dating relationship, after deciding to have a relationship, adolescents would interpret the presence of their partner. In carrying out their relationship, teenagers have values that form the basis of the relationship. In addition, parents also have a large involvement in adolescent dating relationships. Intense togetherness in teenage dating relationships is considered to be an important thing, teenage dating can provide good or bad changes. Other findings discuss conflicts that occur in adolescents and how adolescents resolve them
... This difference in results could be explained by the possibility of differentiating between personal expectations, attitudes and intentions toward marriage, and the challenges from how certain constructs including expectations and intentions are operationalized and applied in scientific research. 15,16,67 The present study confirmed the finding about the role of premarital sexuality permissiveness as a mediator between the relationship of the expectations for marriage and marital intention. The effects of expectations for marriage on marital intention was partially mediated by emerging adults' premarital sexuality permissiveness. ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of expectations for marital relationships and premarital sexual permissiveness on intent to marry of Vietnamese emerging adults.
Patients and Methods
Our cross-sectional study was focused on emerging adults including 344 participants, undergraduate students from universities in Viet Nam. This study was assessed by using the PLS-SEM approach.
Results
The main findings demonstrated that (i) sexual orientation have a significant effect on marital intention; (ii) individuals’ expectations for marital relationship have a direct effect on marital intention; and (iii) premarital sexuality permissiveness mediates the relationship between expectations for marital relationship and marital intention.
Conclusion
Our results contribute important documents and clearer understanding of emerging adults’ expectations and requirements in a relationship for the marriage decision-making process.
... In recent years, researchers (Allendorf et al. 2019;Allison & Risman, 2017;Hall & Willoughby, 2016; have focused on belief in marital timing. Marital context has also been the subject of many studies (Carroll et al., 2009;Hall & Willoughby, 2016Holman & Li, 1997;Larson & LaMont, 2005;Leonhardt et al., 2022;Mosko & Pistole, 2010). ...
This study explored the links between emerging adults' religiosity and their marital salience, marital timing, and marital readiness. Participants included 434 never-married Turkish emerging adults. Hierarchical multiple linear regression techniques were performed for data analysis. Results indicated that religiosity was a significant predictor of emerging adults' marital salience, marital timing, and marital readiness. A higher level of religiosity was associated with a greater belief in marital salience and also linked to an earlier expected age of marriage. A higher level of religiosity was also related to more financial readiness, emotional readiness, and interpersonal relationship readiness. Furthermore, it was linked to the feeling of being prepared for family life and a family role, as well as readiness to take on social responsibility.
... Developing an intimate relationship and becoming a parent are important stages in many young persons' transitions to adult life (Carroll et al., 2009). For young people aged out of residential or foster care (care leavers) these stages can be a major challenge due to adverse experiences before and during their stay in care. ...
Background
Care leavers, young people who have aged out of residential or foster care, experience many challenges during their transition to adulthood. However, there is relatively little research on care leavers' intimate relationships. Their parenthood has been explored to a greater extent, but mostly qualitatively.
Objective
This study focused on Israeli care leavers a decade after leaving care and explored various factors associated with satisfaction with both intimate relationships and parenthood.
Methods
One-hundred-and-fifty-two young people participated in the study ten years after leaving care. Toward the end of their 20s, 74.3% were either married or had stable intimate relationships, and 40.1% were parents. To assess satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood, two hierarchical regressions were conducted that examined the cumulative contribution of background factors (care variables and traumatic life events), personal characteristics (self-esteem, mental distress, and alcohol use) and social support.
Results
Satisfaction with intimate relationships was associated with higher income, fewer traumatic life events, and higher self-esteem. Gender moderated the association of traumatic life events with satisfaction with intimate relationships. Satisfaction with parenthood was associated with fewer traumatic events throughout care leavers' lives; it was also associated with lower levels of mental distress and alcohol use and with higher levels of satisfaction with intimate relationships. Gender moderated the association of mental distress with satisfaction with parenthood.
Conclusions
Ten years after leaving care, care leavers' backgrounds (i.e., their traumatic life events) were strongly associated with their situation as adults. Other risk factors such as alcohol use and mental distress were especially relevant to care leavers' satisfaction as parents, demanding longitudinal interventions. Further exploration of the role of gender in satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood is needed.
Topics of wedding plans can trigger disagreements in communication between young adults children and parents. Communication problems with parents can reduce the quality of relationships and increase stress on individuals, particularly if the issue has escalated into conflict. The quality of the relationship between young adults and their parents is significant to note in maintaining mental health by reducing stress. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of intergenerational communication-based intervention in reducing stress in young adults who experience communication problems with their parents regarding marriage plans. We conducted group intervention for young adults aged 18 to 29 with communication problems with their parents regarding marriage. Changes in the way of communication were assessed with the Global Perceptions of Intergenerational Communication Scale (GPIC) score, stress level with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score, and life satisfaction with the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) score given before and after the intervention. Results found that emotion regulation, perspective-taking, and assertive communication taught through group intervention effectively help improve intergenerational communication skills, reduce stress levels, and increase life satisfaction in young adults. Considering the contribution of conflict with parents to stress levels, interventions based on intergenerational communication are considered worthwhile in overcoming psychological distress.
Child marriage harms various aspects of children's growth and development as well as social impacts. However, conditions in society still show a high rate of child marriage. In Malang Regency, throughout 2022 the number of marriage dispensation applications reached 1,434 cases. This research aims to determine the marital readiness of children of marriage dispensation applicants at the Malang Regency Religious Court between January and December 2023. The sampling technique used was total sampling with the criteria of children of marriage dispensation applicants attending premarital counseling at the Pojok Konseling of the Malang Regency Religious Court. The instrument used were the Marriage Readiness Scale and interview. From 1009 respondents (15% men and 85% women), data was obtained that the marital readiness of the respondents was in the high category 27%, medium 27%, and low 46\%. This marital readiness assessment result is one of the bases for recommending judges to grant or reject requests for marriage dispensation.
Aim: Recently the study of factors affecting young people's attitudes toward marriage has a special place. The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of marriage horizon components in the relationship between attachment styles and attitudes toward marriage. Method: This study was a descriptive-correlational. The study population consisted of single girls in Isfahan, who during a call in cyberspace according to the purpose of the study, 265 people announced their readiness, and then the link to the Collins and Reed (1990) Adult Attachment Styles Questionnaire, Attitudes and Expectations of Marriage Bratton And Rosen (2012), The Importance of Marriage Belt (2016), The Expected Marriage Age of Willoughby (2014), and The Marriage Preparation of Johnson, Anderson, & Stath (2011) Correlation and path analysis were analyzed with AMOS24 and SPSS26 software. Results: The model of structural equations of the research had a good fit. The results showed that secure attachment style (β = -0.231, P <0.05), importance of marriage (β = 0.350, P <0.05), marriage readiness (β = 0.373, P < 0.05) and marriage scheduling (β = 0.281, P <0.05) and avoidant attachment style (β = -0.220, P <0.05) and insecure (β = -0.140, P < 0.05) have a significant relationship with attitudes toward girls' marriage. Conclusion: The secure’s attachment formation style along with a cognitive process based on readiness for marriage is effective in creating a positive attitude towards marriage in girls and similarly unhealthy attachment’s pattern have a negative effect on cognitive processes affecting marriage and attitude toward it.
The high rate of child marriage in Indonesia following the marriage dispensation procedure demands an application to help judges decide the proposals accurately and effectively. This 4D development model research aims to create a standard reference in making decisions regarding the dispensation of marriage proposals using an application. The first stage is defining variables used at the application as measurement, the second stage is designing, namely the process of preparing a conceptual framework in the form of technological innovation, the third stage is developing technological innovation and the fourth stage is disseminating, namely the use of an application. At the defining stage, the variables to measure the level of urgency in granting the marriage dispensation include Social, Partnership Role, Financial, Spiritual, and Reproductive or Sexual Readiness. At the designing stage, the Dispen-Ku application is created using Kodular, a website that provides tools for creating Android applications using block programming. In the disseminating stage, the Dispen-ku application which has been uploaded to the Playstore page is distributed to research subjects, namely two judges in Religious Courts.
Despite the legalization of same-sex marriage across the US, research on young adults’ marital aspirations has tended to overlook sexual identity altogether or focus exclusively on those who are heterosexual. To address this, in this article, I draw upon quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey to describe the marital aspirations and motivations of a convenience sample of sexual minority young adults ( N = 256). Descriptive analyses indicate that although a majority of respondents would like to marry someday, a similar number claim that getting married is not “a major life goal.” Those who want to marry cite several primary reasons, including companionship and lifelong commitment, but also qualify their marital aspirations in several ways, including by questioning both the necessity and normativity of marriage. The relatively small number of respondents do not want to marry express similar concerns and critique marriage as a heteronormative institution.
Background and Objectives
Recent studies have found changes in romantic relationship (RR) dynamics among emerging adults, such as greater postponement of committed RRs and greater search for new RRs online. In this study, we examined whether one's beliefs about RRs and sexual attitudes are significant predictors of current RR status (in a relationship or single), RR intention (low vs. high), dating app use, dating via a dating app, and number of RRs in one's lifetime.
Methods
440 Slovenian emerging adults participated in the study (319 female, Mage = 22.78). They answered The Brief Measure of Relationship Importance (BMRI), The Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale (BSAS), and some short questions about their RR status, RR intention, use of dating apps, and lifetime number of RRs. The study was conducted online.
Results
Using logistic and linear regression analyses, we found that RR dismissal was a significant negative predictor of RR status, RR intention, and dating via a dating app, whereas RR desire did not significantly predict RR outcomes. Sexual permissiveness significantly predicted dating app use, dating via dating apps, and the number of romantic relationships in one's lifetime. Being female, living independently, and having a more instrumental sexual attitude positively predicted “in a relationship” status.
Conclusion
Results suggest that certain beliefs about RR and sexual attitudes are related to intentions and decisions to engage in actual RR behaviour.
Marital Paradigm Theory explicitly attributes differences in marital beliefs to relationship-oriented life experiences and socialization through cultural norms. However, some existing research has shown the potential for individual characteristics, such as personality traits and attachment styles, to associate with certain elements of relationships and marriage. The current study explored potential links among personality traits, attachments styles, and a multi-faceted system of marital beliefs (marital paradigm). A survey of 584 young adults in Iran yielded many associations among personality traits (as measured with the HEXACO model), adult attachment styles, and various marital paradigm dimensions. Results suggested that Openness to experience, Honesty-humility, and Emotionality were especially relevant to marital beliefs. Results are interpreted in light of the Iranian cultural context, adding to a sparse literature on personality and marital beliefs and a growing literature of marital beliefs from non-Western societies.
Fertility policies in China have changed substantially over recent years, with the intention of allowing individuals to bear more children and, thereby, to increase the total fertility rate. Using a sample of young adults, this study examines changes in fertility aspirations (the desired number of children, and the timing of first birth) across the three fertility policy periods (One-Child, Two-Child, and Three-Child). The results show that both young females and males increasingly prefer fewer children, and a later age at first birth. Both parental and peer factors are shown to significantly affect fertility aspirations, yet individual factors, such as gender attitudes and pronatal beliefs, yield stronger associations. The implications of the findings, along with the possible future of fertility patterns in China, are discussed with the developmental paradigm.
This article presents the results of a study of the relationship between the time perspective and themes of significant life events in adolescence. The study involved 1,394 boys and girls aged 14 to 23 years. It was revealed that there is an age-related multidirectional dynamics in the representation of the following periods: “studying at school”, “vocational training”, “professional autonomy”, “future”, “open present”. For example, modern youth associate “learning at school” positively with entertainment and negatively with study and work in the past and with communication and contacts in the future. The period of “professional training” is associated with all significant events in their lives except for events related to entertainment in the future. The period of “professional autonomy” is associated with events aimed at business (including both professional activity and study) both in the past and in the future. All important events in the present depend on the desire to possess some qualities, properties, skills. And at the same time, the significance of communication and entertainment in the past and the importance of entertainment and specific activities (educational and professional) in the future are associated with this desire. The results of the study may be of interest for the organization of work with high school students and students on the formation of a time perspective of the future.
Rationale:
Although there is a growing body of empirical evidence on the relationship between peers' parental education and adolescents' educational outcomes, little is known about whether exposure to highly educated peers' parents is associated with improved physical health in adulthood.
Objective:
This study investigated the relationship between the education level of peers' parents (Wave I) and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adulthood (Wave IV). Moreover, we considered a set of health-related behaviors (Wave II) as the underlying mechanisms linking peers' parental education to later-life physical health such as substance use (smoking, binge drinking, and marijuana use) and other lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and unhealthy dietary habits).
Methods:
Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), spanning respondents' adolescence to adulthood, were used. To address the endogenous school selection problem and account for the unobserved school-level confounders, this study exploited quasi-experimental within-school/across-cohort variation in peer composition. To formally test for mediation, Sobel tests were conducted.
Results:
The results of this study revealed that independent of own parents' education levels, exposure to higher levels of peers' parental education is associated with a lower CVD risk score in adulthood. For a one-standard-deviation increase in peers' parental education-that is, about a 0.98-year increase in grademates' parental educational attainment, a CVD risk in adulthood increased by about 6.2%. Our mediation analyses showed that part of this association is explained by a decrease in substance use (27% for smoking, 10% for binge drinking, and 11% for marijuana use). In contrast, none of the other lifestyle behaviors evaluated significantly mediated the association.
Conclusion:
The study's findings suggest that the role of peers' parents should not be overlooked when developing health-promoting interventions for adolescents. Policymakers and practitioners may wish to increase opportunities for students to benefit from health-related social learning from their peers' highly educated parents.
Rationale:
Despite existing literature on the impact of adolescent depressive symptoms on a variety of youth outcomes, little is known about whether and how adolescent depressive symptoms are associated with physical health in adulthood.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between adolescent depressive symptoms and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adulthood. An extensive list of potential mechanisms underlying this association, including health behaviors, substance use, academic effort and achievement, and school-based relationships, was also examined.
Methods:
Using the sibling sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 3011), this study employed sibling fixed-effects models to address unobservable family-level confounders, such as genetic factors, parental and familial characteristics, and school and neighborhood environments.
Results:
Adolescent depressive symptoms were associated with an increased risk of CVD in about 13 years later (b = 0.698). Sibling fixed-effects estimates revealed that, despite some attenuation (approximately 31%), this association is robust to adjustment for unobserved family-level heterogeneity. Substance use and academic effort/achievement explained about 35% and 16% of the association between adolescent depressive symptoms and adult CVD risk, respectively. In contrast, health behaviors and school-based relationships played little or no role in mediating the association.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study suggest that policymakers and practitioners may wish to develop interventions to reduce adolescent depressive symptoms and to help adolescents with depressive symptoms avoid substance use and promote effort in school. Early interventions targeting adolescents with depressive symptoms may be a cost-effective strategy for preventing adult physical health problems.
Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period characterized by emotional growth and unstructured living. To date, there is little research on emerging adults—defined as those 18 to 25 years old—with serious mental illnesses and even less on emerging adults in psychiatric hospitals. This study analyzed therapeutic alliance with the clinical team and change in anxiety symptoms in emerging adult psychiatric inpatients with the goal of establishing whether emotion regulation could serve as a mediator between these 2 constructs. Participants were 913 emerging adults (46.7% female; 18 to 25 y of age) who were voluntarily admitted to an intermediate length-of-stay (6 to 8 wk) inpatient psychiatric hospital. Each patient completed measures assessing anxiety symptoms, emotion regulation strategies, and working alliance as an assessment of therapeutic alliance. The results indicated that working alliance had significant indirect effects on change in anxiety symptoms through emotion dysregulation and lack of awareness, limited access to emotion regulation strategies, and lack of emotional clarity. This study emphasizes the need to understand emerging adults and the difficulties characteristic of this developmental period, and that clinicians should be aware that cognitive factors involved in emotion regulation may impact anxiety symptoms in emerging adult populations.
Rationale:
Despite the importance of the role of social networks in health, few studies have examined the relationship between adolescent social network position and adult health.
Objective:
This study examines whether several dimensions of one's social network position in adolescence is associated with cardiometabolic risk in adulthood among U.S. adolescents. This study also explores the mechanisms that undergird the relationship between adolescents' network position and their later-life health.
Methods:
Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 9517), this study uses ordinary least squares regression models with school fixed effects. Three measures of adolescent social network position, including popularity, Bonacich centrality, and social isolation, were sociometrically assessed in schools. Cardiometabolic risk in adulthood was based on 12 biomarkers covering four domains of physiological systems.
Results:
All three measures of adolescent network position were associated with adult cardiometabolic risk even after controlling for sociodemographic and family-level covariates, as well as school fixed effects. Controlling for adolescent characteristics attenuated the associations for popularity, Bonacich centrality, and isolation by 31%, 58%, and 26%, respectively, which rendered the associations for Bonacich centrality statistically nonsignificant. Adult health behaviors were the most consistent mediator for popularity and isolation, whereas adult socioeconomic attainment explained part of the association for popularity. In contrast, adult social integration did not play a mediating role. Simultaneously controlling for all proposed mechanism variables explained 17% and 18% of the associations for popularity and isolation, respectively.
Conclusions:
Findings of this study suggest that social network position during adolescence has enduring consequences for cardiometabolic risk in adulthood. A combination of behavioral and human capital pathways explains part of the associations, though they appear to operate differently for distinct network position measures.
The high rate of divorce in young couples is motivated by psychological and spiritual unpreparedness. Premarital education is a resolution to minimize the divorce rate. This study aims to hack the knowledge and understanding of Muslim adolescents regarding marriage and marriage readiness from a psychology and Islamic law perspective. This type of research uses a descriptive quantitative data collection method using a survey in the form of a questionnaire. The research subjects were 820 adolescents aged 15-20 years who came from various levels of education, namely senior high school students (54.5%) and undergraduate students (45.5%). The results of this study indicate that there are several motivations for marriage for Muslim adolescents, namely (1) wanting to justify themselves by 49% (2) wanting to get attention and affection by 20.5%, (3) wanting to have children by 15.6%, (4) improve the economy by 10%, (5) follow parents wishes 4.9%. While the things that teenagers need to prepare for marriage are (1) Economy by 31.9%, (2) Studying Religion by 29.4%, (3) Education by 20.7%, and (4) Improving Character 18%. Adolescent understanding is still low on the purpose of marriage and the forms of marriage readiness. Indicated by the orientation and motivation of marriage is dominated by the fulfillment of biological and material needs. The implication of this research is to be able to provide a comprehensive view in terms of marriage readiness from the point of view of psychology and Islamic law as reference material for providing premarital preparation/premarital education to adolescents so that they can prepare for married life.
In today’s post-industrial societies, young people, compared to previous generations, experience longer and more complex processes of creating professional identity, developing a career or finding “one’s vocation”. They also face difficulties in achieving financial independence, starting a family, and leaving parental homes, which altogether define the status of an adult person. Based on the overview of sociological and psychological scholarly literature, the complexity of young people’s identity formation in the context of a passage towards social maturity is analysed. The most significant tensions related to the question of “who am I and what do I want” are emphasized in the article, together with the circumstances of contemporary society that stimulate them. (Non-)applicability of the concept of the quarter-life crisis is finally highlighted in order to summarise, reflect, and explain some of the experiences and life events of young people. The title of the article is a famous quotation of Tennessee Williams.
The proposed double ABCM model of marital satisfaction draws from the double ABCX theory of family behavior framework to incorporate pre-marital factors associated with getting married that carry-over into the marriage itself; it also integrates marital demands, circumstances, and perceptions that ultimately contribute to marital satisfaction. Bodies of literature related to marriage intentions, marital beliefs, newlywed adjustment, and marital maintenance are integrated into the constructs of the model. The double ABCM model expands the structure of the original double ABCX framework in several ways, including by explicitly depicting broader contextual factors that influence intra-relational processes, diagraming the shared and unshared aspects of most constructs, and illustrating a nonlinear passage of time. Limitations and implications are discussed.
Today the phenomenon of getting married at a young age is rising and shown through social media. According to Islamic religious rules, there are many pros and contras against this phenomenon, especially related to marriage. It has led to various pre-marriage educational programs as a means of understanding and preparing for marriage. This study aimed to explore the experiences of a single woman in emerging adulthood who participates in Pre-Marriage Talk Class. This study used a qualitative approach with the snowball sampling technique. A total of 5 respondents participated in this study, and data were collected through an online interview. We used the thematic analysis to analyze the data. The results showed that Pre-Marriage Talk Class provides additional knowledge, awareness, and mindset to participants, including 1) knowledge about the age of 84 Martabat: Jurnal Perempuan dan Anak marriage; 2) knowledge about the vision and mission of getting married; 3) awareness of knowing the self; 4) knowledge of managing the self and environment, and 5) changing mindset. From the results, we can conclude that Pre-Marriage Talk Class is a suitable program for emerging adults who want to gain knowledge and skills related to themselves, how to manage self and environment, as well as an overview of the dynamics of married life that can be anticipated
Bu çalışmanın amacı üniversite öğrencilerinin evliliğe ilişkin görüşlerinin incelenmesidir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 1280 (1003 kadın, 277 erkek) bekâr üniversite öğrencisi oluşturmuştur. Verilerin analizinde yüzde, frekans ve ki-kare analiz teknikleri kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgulara göre üniversite öğrencilerinin büyük bir çoğunluğunun yaşam seyrinde evliliğin yer aldığı, ideal evlilik yaşlarının 26 yaş civarında olduğu, gençlerin büyük bir bölümünün yaşam planlarında önceliğinin kariyer olduğu ve çok az bir kısmının kendini evliliğe hazır hissettiği belirlenmiştir. Üniversite öğrencilerinin üçte birine yakınının evliliklerinin ebeveynlerinin evliliğine benzemesini istediği, üçte birine yakınının evlenmeden birlikte yaşama karşı olumlu yaklaştığı, dörtte birinin evlenmeden cinsel ilişki yaşanmasını uygun bulduğu ve yarıdan fazlasının evlilikten kaygılandığı ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Abstract This study aims to examine university students' marital views. The study group consisted of 1280 (1003 female, 277 male) single university students. Percentage, frequency and chi-square analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. According to the study findings, majority of university students place marriage in their life course, the ideal marital age is around 26 years, the priority of most of the young people in their life plans is career and very few of them feel ready for marriage. In addition, the study revealed that nearly one third of university students want their marriages to be similar to their parents' marriage, nearly one third of them have a positive attitude towards cohabitation before marriage, one fourth find it appropriate to have premarital sex, and more than half of them are anxious about getting married.
The present prospective, longitudinal study of 193 young adults (85 men, 108 women, M = 20.7 years old) and their partners in ongoing romantic relationships in 1997 was initiated in 1989, when the 193 target youths were in the 7th grade. On the basis of the model for the development of early adult romantic relationships (DEARR; C. Bryant & R. D. Conger, in press), the authors hypothesized that interactional processes in the family of origin would predict interpersonal skills by the target youths, which would be positively related to the early adult couple's relationship quality. Observational ratings showed that nurturant–involved parenting in the family of origin predicted behaviors by the target youth to a romantic partner that were warm, supportive, and low in hostility. These competent behaviors of the target youth were positively associated with relationship quality for the early adult couple and also mediated or explained the connection between parenting and relationship quality.
This article argues that marriage and cohabitation are associated with important differences in work patterns, earnings, treatment
of money, use of leisure time, social relations with the extended family, the division of household labor, and fertility.
We hypothesize that these differences lead those considering the formation of a household to consider their attitudes toward
these aspects of life, which appear to be so different in marriage from those in cohabitation. Using data from the National
Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972, we test and find support for the hypothesis that the choice between cohabitation
and marriage is affected by attitudes and values toward work, family, use of leisure time, money, and sex roles, as well as
values and attitudes toward marriage itself.
Despite the widespread use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research, researchers often make questionable decisions when conducting these analyses. This article reviews the major design and analytical decisions that must be made when conducting a factor analysis and notes that each of these decisions has important consequences for the obtained results. Recommendations that have been made in the methodological literature are discussed. Analyses of 3 existing empirical data sets are used to illustrate how questionable decisions in conducting factor analyses can yield problematic results. The article presents a survey of 2 prominent journals that suggests that researchers routinely conduct analyses using such questionable methods. The implications of these practices for psychological research are discussed, and the reasons for current practices are reviewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Emerging adulthood is proposed as a new conception of development for the period from the late teens through the twenties, with a focus on ages 18–25. A theoretical background is presented. Then evidence is provided to support the idea that emerging adulthood is a distinct period demographically, subjectively, and in terms of identity explorations. How emerging adulthood differs from adolescence and young adulthood is explained. Finally, a cultural context for the idea of emerging adulthood is outlined, and it is specified that emerging adulthood exists only in cultures that allow young people a prolonged period of independent role exploration during the late teens and twenties.
The purpose of the study is to examine the meaning that the institution of marriage can hold for young, unmarried adults, based on their systems (or collections) of beliefs about marriage. Based on symbolic interactionism, it is argued that marital meaning has implications for how people behave prior to and during marriage that may relate to marital functioning. A qualitative content analysis of scholarly literature reveals that marital meaning is multifaceted and can be conceptualized as including five distinct dimensions. A confirmatory factor analysis identifies beliefs that are scaled to represent their respective dimensions. A cluster analysis categorizes participants into three groups based on participants’ scores along these dimensions. Similarities and distinctions across the three groups are discussed to highlight the complexity of belief systems that young adults can have about the institution of marriage.
Emerging adulthood refers to a time period (18–25 years of age) between adolescence and adulthood. Recent research suggests that it may be a cultural construction. More traditional, non-Western cultures may have a shortened period of emerging adulthood, or no emerging adulthood at all, because these cultures tend to place greater emphasis on practices that lead to an earlier transition to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to examine emerging adulthood in the Chinese culture, including (1) the types of criteria Chinese young people deem necessary for becoming an adult, (2) the types of behaviours Chinese emerging adults are engaging in, (3) identity-related issues, and (4) other aspects of Chinese culture that might suggest that emerging adulthood in China may be different than in the United States. Participants in this study were 207 students at Beijing Normal University located in Beijing, China. Results provided evidence to support the notion that emerging adulthood is affected by culture. Findings revealed that the majority of Chinese college students (1) feel they have reached adult status in their early twenties, (2) have culturally specific criteria for adult status, and (3) tend to engage in behaviours and have beliefs and values that appear to differ from emerging adults in Western cultures.
Research reveals that most 18- to 25-year-old individuals do not consider themselves to be adults. This time period between adolescence and adulthood has been newly defined as emerging adulthood. The purpose of this study was to (a) attempt to identify perceived adults and (b) explore whether differences in adulthood criteria, achievement of those criteria, identity issues, risk-taking behaviors, and depression are based on perceived adult status. Findings from 232 college students’ responses revealed that there was a small group of perceived adults, and when compared to their emerging-adult peers, they(a) did not differ on the adulthood criteria they used; (b) believed they had achieved more of the adulthood criteria; (c) had a better sense of their overall identity, as well as what type of person they wanted as a romantic partner; (d) were less depressed; and (e) engaged in fewer risk behaviors (e.g., illegal drug use and drunk driving).
Conceptions of the transition to adulthood in the contemporary American majority culture are examined, and compared to conceptions cross-culturally and historically. Perspectives from other places and times are presented first, indicating that there is a widespread view that the transition to adulthood involves the gradual development of character qualities such as impulse control and diligence but culminates in marriage as the ultimate marker of the transition to adulthood. Findings from several recent American studies are then presented, indicating that for contemporary young Americans the preeminent criteria for the transition to adulthood are the individualistic character qualities of accepting responsibility for one’s self and making independent decisions, along with becoming financially independent; marriage, in contrast, ranks very low. New data are presented to illustrate young Americans’ conceptions of the transition to adulthood. Reasons are discussed for the prominence of individualistic criteria in American society and the prominence of marriage in other places and times. The concept of emerging adulthood is presented as a new way of conceptualizing the period between adolescence and young adulthood.
Compared to traditional, non-Western cultures, emerging adulthood (18–25 years of age) may look considerably different in cultures that place emphasis on the group (i.e., collectivistic) over the individual (i.e., individualistic). However, within minority cultures, individual members vary on the extent to which they identify with their heritage culture. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the role that culture, particularly acculturation to Canadian aboriginal heritage culture, may play in emerging adulthood. Specifically, aboriginal emerging adults who scored above or below the mean of their peers on acculturation to their heritage (aboriginal) culture were compared to their majority European Canadian counterparts in several aspects of emerging adulthood including (a) perceived adult status, (b) perceived criteria for adulthood, (c) achieved criteria for adulthood, (d) personal beliefs about the future, and (e) risk behaviours. Results revealed the significance of examining acculturation in understanding the role of culture in the process of emerging adulthood, particularly among ethnic minority youth. In particular, findings revealed that young aboriginal adults' level of identification with aboriginal traditions such as the significance of interdependence and maintenance of harmony, the role of children and family, and historical sociocultural events appeared to play a role in many aspects of emerging adulthood.
Despite the widespread use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research, researchers often make questionable decisions when conducting these analyses. This article reviews the major design and analytical decisions that must be made when conducting a factor analysis and notes that each of these decisions has important consequences for the obtained results. Recommendations that have been made in the methodological literature are discussed. Analyses of 3 existing empirical data sets are used to illustrate how questionable decisions in conducting factor analyses can yield problematic results. The article presents a survey of 2 prominent journals that suggests that researchers routinely conduct analyses using such questionable methods. The implications of these practices for psychological research are discussed, and the reasons for current practices are reviewed.
Emerging adulthood is proposed as a new conception of development for the period from the late teens through the twenties, with a focus on ages 18-25. A theoretical background is presented. Then evidence is provided to support the idea that emerging adulthood is a distinct period demographically, subjectively, and in terms of identity explorations. How emerging adulthood differs from adolescence and young adulthood is explained. Finally, a cultural context for the idea of emerging adulthood is outlined, and it is specified that emerging adulthood exists only in cultures that allow young people a prolonged period of independent role exploration during the late teens and twenties.
In the United States, research on conceptions of the transition to adulthood has been on mostly white samples. The study examined here presents data that include African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans.
Data from a longitudinal study were used to examine differences among couples that cohabited before engagement, after engagement, or not until marriage. Survey data and objectively coded couple interaction data were collected for 136 couples (272 individuals) after engagement (but before marriage) and 10 months into marriage. At both time points, the before-engagement cohabiters (59 couples) had more negative interactions, lower interpersonal commitment, lower relationship quality, and lower relationship confidence than those who did not cohabit until after engagement (28 couples) or marriage (49 couples), even after controlling for selection factors and duration of cohabitation. Our findings suggest that those who cohabit before engagement are at greater risk for poor marital outcomes than those who cohabit only after engagement or at marriage, which may have important implications for future research on cohabitation, clinical work, and social policy decisions.
The purpose of this study was (a) to identify the criteria parents of emerging adults consider necessary and important for their children to achieve adulthood, (b) to compare parents' criteria for adulthood with the criteria espoused by emerging adults, and (c) to examine how these criteria might differ on the basis of gender of the parent and gender of the child. Participants included 392 unmarried college students, ages 18-25, and at least 1 of their parents (271 fathers, 319 mothers). Results revealed that (a) as did their children, most parents did not yet view their children as adults, (b) there was disagreement between children and their parents in the emphasis they placed on various criteria for adulthood, (c) mothers and fathers did not always agree on the importance of various criteria, and (d) the gender of both the parent and the child played a role in the criteria parents deemed important for adulthood. Taken together, the findings suggest that parents and children view the transition to adulthood differently, which might have implications for the parent-child relationship during this period of development.
This study describes the development of a comprehensive premarital assessment instrument, the PREParation for Marriage (PREP-M) Questionnaire, and evaluates the ability of the questionnaire to predict marital satisfaction and stability one year after marriage. The results suggest that the higher the premarital PREP-M scores, the higher the marital satisfaction and marital stability. Means for the most satisfied and most stable individuals were usually significantly higher than the least satisfied and stable individuals and individuals who had canceled or delayed marriage. Educational, counseling, and research implications are drawn.
This framework expands on earlier definitions of family life education and specifies major concepts for comprehensive life-span family life education programs. It is a valuable resource for family life practitioners as they develop, assess, promote, and justify family life education programs. It would also be helpful for the training of family life educators and for the development and testing of theory in the field.
Delay of marriage among young adults often is attributed to the diminishing importance of marriage. Cultural explanations are also used to explain differences in the marriage rates of Whites and Blacks. Nonetheless, research on factors influencing marriage has largely overlooked the role of attitudes. We use individual-level prospective data from Waves I and II of the National Survey of Families and Households to examine whether attitudes are responsible for sex and race differences in marriage rates, net of economic opportunity. We find that persons expressing positive attitudes about marriage are significantly more likely to marry, and favorable assessments of marriage accentuate the positive effects of economic attributes on marriage odds. However, structural, not cultural, differences account for the large racial differences in marriage rates.
This article examines the relationship between premarital sexual activity and the long-term risk of divorce among U.S. women married between 1965 and 1985. Simple cross-tabulations from the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth indicate that women who were sexually active prior to marriage faced a considerably higher risk of marital disruption than women were were virgin brides. A bivariate probit model is employed to examine three possible explanations for this positive relationship: (a) a direct causal effect, (b) an indirect effect through intervening "high risk" behaviors (such as having a premarital birth or marrying at a young age), and (c) a selectivity effect representing prior differences between virgins and nonvirgins (such as family background or attitudes and values). After a variety of observable characteristics are controlled, nonvirgins still face a much higher risk of divorce than virgins. However, when the analysis controls for unobserved characteristics affecting both the likelihood of having premarital sex and the likelihood of divorce, the differential is no longer statistically significant. These results suggest that the positive relationship between premarital sex and the risk of divorce can be attributed to prior unobserved differences (e.g., the willingness to break traditional norms) rather than to a direct causal effect.
This article uses couple-level data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N= 2,263) to investigate factors associated with unmarried parents’ expectations about marriage and the association between their expectations and subsequent union transitions. In most couples, both partners expect to marry, and their shared expectations are the strongest predictor of marriage and separation following their child's birth. Although men's expectations are somewhat more consequential for union transitions, marriage and relationship stability are more likely when at least one parent expects to marry. Factors such as children from previous relationships, distrust, conflict, and shared activities are also associated with union transitions. Findings about how expectations and other factors relate to marriage and separation may inform new marriage promotion initiatives.
This study explored cultural differences in the criteria young people have for becoming an adult. Specifically, the study sought (a) to compare Chinese and American responses concerning whether they believe they have reached adulthood; (b) to examine whether adulthood criteria could fit a common statistical model for both cultures; and (c) after estimating this model, to compare the importance of adulthood criteria for Chinese and Americans. Results indicated that Chinese students considered themselves to be adults more than did American students. Also, Chinese students ascribed greater importance to criteria that reflect obligations toward others than did the Americans. The influence of culture in the transition to adulthood was discussed.
Drawing from developmental theories of interpersonal competence, this article presents a multidimensional model of marital competence and reports on a study that provides a preliminary evaluation of the model and its central tenets. Structural equation modeling analyses were run with a nationally representative sample of 750 couples to test the model. The results demonstrated that the model accounted for 65% to 67% of the variance in partners' relationship quality and provided initial support to the theoretical and empirical utility of distinguishing marital competence according to developmentally defined domains of intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies. Implications of these findings for research and intervention are discussed.
Results from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth indicate that marriages contracted after 1980 are becoming more stable. This article examines several individual characteristics in search of an explanation for increasing stability. A person-year file is created and logistic regression is used to determine which covariates account for the negative effect of year in a model predicting the likelihood of marital dissolution. Increasing experience of premarital sex, premarital birth, cohabitation, and racial and religious heterogamy are detracting from marital stability. However, rising age at marriage and, to a lesser degree, increased education are associated with increasing marital stability. These latter effects more than counterbalance the factors associated with instability leading to an overall decline in the rate of marital dissolution.
The purpose of this article is to add to our understanding of the multiple factors related to young adults' perceptions of their readiness for marriage. A theoretical model was developed to test the simultaneous effects of variables suggested by previous research and theory. A preexisting data set with premarital data from 2,508 young adults contained items measuring 8 indices of the theoretical predictor variables. The 8 latent variables were satisfaction with family relationships in the family of origin, amount of support of significant others for the relationship, impulsivity, attitude toward privacy, sociodemographic characteristics, perceived physical attractiveness, quality of couple communication, and level of couple agreement. The model was tested with analysis of covariance structures in LISREL. The results support the contention of multiple levels of causation. Perceptions of personal readiness for marriage depend largely on contextual issues (sociodemographic characteristics and significant other support) and then on the quality of couple interaction.
The impact that desire to marry has on risk-taking behaviors during emerging adulthood is examined in the current investigation using nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Looking both at the simple relationships between desire to marry and risk-taking behaviors, as well as the possible predictive power desire to marry could have on binge drinking, marijuana use, and sexual behaviors, data revealed that attitudes toward marriage may be an important component of emerging adulthood and risk-taking research. Results indicate that desire to marry was predictive of several risk-taking behaviors for both men and women even after controlling for other known predictors of risk-taking. Implications for future research are discussed.
This article presents a marital horizon theory of emerging adulthood that posits that young people's perceptions of marriage are central factors in determining subgroup differences in the length of emerging adulthood as well as the specific behaviors that occur during this period in the family life cycle. The model was tested with a sample of 813 emerging adults who were recruited from six college sites across the country. Results demonstrated that there are significant differences between young people who have relatively close marital horizons (i.e., those who desire marriage in their early 20s) and those who have more distant marital horizons (i.e., those who desire marriage in their mid-20s or later) in the areas of substance use patterns, sexual permissiveness, and family formation values. Results suggest that changes in lifestyle patterns previously assumed to be associated with the transition to marriage may in fact be initiated when young people anticipate marriage in their near future.
This article reviews research on the premarital factors associated with later marital quality and stability in first marriages. Three major categories of factors are described, including background and context, individual traits and behaviors, and couple interactional processes. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal research are summarized. Recommendations for future research and implications for family life education and premarital counseling are described.
Data from a handful of studies suggest that at any given marital duration, premarital cohabitors have a higher risk of ending the first marriage. A recent study of the 1972 high school senior cohort suggests that this difference can be explained in the United States by the greater time cohabitors have spent in a union. This hypothesis was reinvestigated with a more broadly representative sample of the population. Consistent with results for Sweden, we found that cohabitation in the United States is associated with a greater hazard of dissolution even after counting the time spent in unmarried cohabitation as part of marital duration.
Conceptions of the transition to adulthood were examined using data from 346 college students aged 18-23 and 140 21 - to 28-year-olds. Participants indicated the characteristics necessary for a person to be considered an adult on a questionnaire containing 40 possible criteria. In both studies, the top criteria endorsed emphasized aspects of individualism, including “accept responsibility for the consequences of your actions,”“decide on own beliefs and values independently of parents or other influences,” and “establish a relationship with parents as an equal adult.” In contrast, role transitions typically associated with research on the transition to adulthood, such as finishing education, entering the labor force, marriage, and parenthood, were rejected as criteria for adulthood by a large majority in both studies. The results suggest that the current generation of young people in American society conceptualizes the transition to adulthood in intangible, gradual, psychological, and individualistic terms.
I begin by presenting a demographic outline of emerging adulthood. Then I summarize my theory of emerging adulthood by presenting the five features that distinguish it as a developmental period. Finally, I consider the special challenges involved in building a new paradigm of emerging adulthood, given that emerging adults are such a diverse group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This chapter draws on recent empirical work that illustrates the dynamic yet highly variable paths that emerging adults take from dependence toward independence. Moreover, in this chapter, the recentering process is linked to two life span developmental processes (i.e., separation-individuation, ego development) in an effort to elucidate how the unique features of emerging adulthood are embedded within life span development from birth and to explore possible sources of variation in emerging adult development. Last, this chapter explores college as a context for emerging adulthood and asks what we can learn about modification of emerging adult development from the college student development literature. A summary and discussion of future research directions conclude the chapter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The authors summarize what is known about sexual behaviors and beliefs, predictors of sexual behavior, virginity, sexual minorities, condom and contraceptive use, pregnancy and parenthood, abortion and its emotional consequences, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, alcohol use and sex, and sexual assault in emerging adulthood. Although the authors do not take a strict risk focus on sexuality in emerging adulthood, much of the review focuses on risk because of the focus of prior empirical work. The authors provide suggestions for future directions on examining sexuality in emerging adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In this chapter we embed considerations of mental health--particularly in terms of overall well-being, substance use, antisocial behavior, and depressive affect--within the experience of emerging adulthood. As a starting point, we offer the following general observations about the course of selected indices of mental health and maladaptation during emerging adulthood: In the general population, mental health improves and problem behaviors subside. The incidence of psychopathology increases. Mental health and problem behaviors tend to be relatively stable between adolescence and adulthood. Some obvious questions follow from these general observations: Why does mental health improve, problem behavior decrease, and the incidence of psychopathology increase in the general population during emerging adulthood? In particular, what accounts for the increase in both mental health and psychopathology? Then there are some less obvious but equally important questions: How well do these average trends reflect individual trajectories, particularly given the heterogeneity in life paths characteristic of emerging adulthood? Given that the moderate to high stability coefficients previously mentioned still leave room for some wide fluctuations in individual trajectories, to what extent are the many contextual and individual transitions characteristic of emerging adulthood sufficiently powerful to redirect individual trajectories of well-being and problem behaviors and to cause mental health difficulties to emerge or vanish during this period in life? We pursue these and related questions in this chapter by considering a variety of conceptual and methodological issues relevant to the understanding of mental health during late adolescence, early adulthood, and the time between the two. We are interested in heterogeneity of developmental pathways, which likely corresponds with increased diversity in mental health during emerging adulthood. We are also interested in issues of continuity and discontinuity, which are at the core of developmental psychology and of developmental science more generally (Lerner, 2002; Sroufe & Jacobvitz, 1989; Werner, 1957). Our overview of the issues and literature is necessarily illustrative rather than comprehensive. In our examples, we focus in particular on overall well-being, substance use, antisocial behavior, and depressive affect. We begin with a conceptual overview and description of the challenges and opportunities for mental health during emerging adulthood. We then illustrate our key ideas by focusing on continuity and discontinuity, developmental transitions, and the potential functionality of deviance and difficulties. We conclude with a discussion of conceptual and methodological implications and challenges. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Drawing on systematically compiled data from 186 societies outside of the industrial West including representatives of all major geographical groups and cultural types, and considering the extensive literature in psychology, sociology, and primatology as well as anthropology, the authors offer the first definitive analysis of adolescence as a socially demarcated stage of life worldwide. They demonstrate convincingly that adolescence is universal for boys, and, with very few exceptions, for girls as well. They examine the range of variation across cultures in the behavior of adolescents, and the responses of adults—variation that is influenced by social organization, the family structure, and type of economy—and relate their findings to the research by social scientists on adolescence and human development in contemporary Western societies.
The adolescent's sense of self, his or her relationships with parents and with peers, the ways in which different cultures prepare adolescents for sex, marriage, and adult work, the problem of adolescent antisocial behavior—all are thoughtfully considered. A major focus is sex differences: despite many similarities, the adolescence of boys worldwide is different from, and usually longer than, that of girls. Finally, the authors address the implications of their findings for contemporary adolescent life in Western societies.
An appendix summarizes the measures and statistical techniques used, and provides extensive information about the distributions of the different patterns that were discerned and the significance of the interrelationships of the variables of interest.
This landmark study of varieties of adolescent experience worldwide, destined to become a classic, will be important reading for all social and behavioral scientists who study adolescents and for thoughtful educators and practictioners who work with them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The author's goal of presenting a fresh conception of young people's development has resulted in chapters on topics not as strongly represented in most other textbooks. Most textbooks have a discussion of moral development, but this textbook has a chapter on cultural beliefs, including moral development, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and a discussion of individualistic and collectivistic beliefs in various cultures. The chapter on cultural beliefs provides a good basis for a cultural understanding of adolescent development, because it emphasizes how the judgments we make about how adolescents should think and act are almost always rooted in beliefs we have learned in the course of growing up in a particular culture. In this textbook there is a chapter on gender that focuses on cultural variations and historical changes in gender roles, in addition to discussions of gender issues in other chapters This textbook also has an entire chapter on work, which is central to the lives of adolescents in developing countries because a high proportion of them are not in school. Each chapter contains a number of critical thinking questions the purpose of which is to inspire students to a higher level of analysis and reflection about the ideas and information in the chapters--higher, that is, than they would be likely to achieve simply by reading the chapter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The relationship between premarital cohabitation and marital dysfunction was examined with a total sample of 1,425 spouses in two U.S. marriage cohorts: those married between 1964 and 1980 (when cohabitation was less common) and those married between 1981 and 1997 (when cohabitation was more common). Spouses in both cohorts who cohabited prior to marriage reported poorer marital quality and greater marital instability. When selection factors for cohabitation and subsequent marital instability were included in the statistical model, cohabitors in both cohorts continued to exhibit poorer marital quality and greater marital instability. These findings lend stronger support to an experience of cohabitation perspective than to a selection perspective as an explanation for why couples who cohabit before marriage tend to have more troubled relationships.
Using nationally representative data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, I estimate the association between intimate premarital relationships (premarital sex and premarital cohabitation) and subsequent marital dissolution. I extend previous research by considering relationship histories pertaining to both premarital sex and premarital cohabitation. I find that premarital sex or premarital cohabitation that is limited to a woman's husband is not associated with an elevated risk of marital disruption. However, women who have more than one intimate premarital relationship have an increased risk of marital dissolution. These results suggest that neither premarital sex nor premarital cohabitation by itself indicate either preexisting characteristics or subsequent relationship environments that weaken marriages. Indeed, the findings are consistent with the notion that premarital sex and cohabitation limited to one's future spouse has become part of the normal courtship process for marriage.
The present prospective, longitudinal study of 193 young adults (85 men, 108 women, M = 20.7 years old) and their partners in ongoing romantic relationships in 1997 was initiated in 1989, when the 193 target youths were in the 7th grade. On the basis of the model for the development of early adult romantic relationships (DEARR; C. Bryant & R. D. Conger, in press), the authors hypothesized that interactional processes in the family of origin would predict interpersonal skills by the target youths, which would be positively related to the early adult couple's relationship quality. Observational ratings showed that nurturant-involved parenting in the family of origin predicted behaviors by the target youth to a romantic partner that were warm, supportive, and low in hostility. These competent behaviors of the target youth were positively associated with relationship quality for the early adult couple and also mediated or explained the connection between parenting and relationship quality.
This study explores the role that culture, particularly religious rites of passage, may play in emerging adulthood by examining the demographics, criteria for adulthood, identity development, and risk behavior of Mormon emerging adults.
This chapter examines the conceptions of adulthood of adolescents, emerging adults, and parents of adolescents in Israel. It shows a general consensus regarding the important markers of adulthood (similar to American middle-class conceptions) while identifying several cultural, age, and gender differences.