Cohabitation, Marriage, and Trajectories in Relationships, Well-Being, and Attitudes: An Exploration of Selection versus Causal Effects

Kelly A. Musick, University of Southern California
Larry Bumpass, University of Wisconsin at Madison

In this analysis, we follow union trajectories over time, tracing changes in variables that have been found to be associated with union status and with the nature and stability of marriages. We use data from waves 1 and 2 of the NSFH, a national sample survey focusing on family structure, process, and relationships (Sweet, Bumpass, and Call 1988; Sweet and Bumpass 1996). These data contain a rich array of measurements in many of the domains hypothesized to differentiate cohabitation and marriage, and to affect the stability of marriage. We build on prior work showing consistent differences between married and cohabiting couples, but do so using a different perspective, sample, and methodology.

Presented in Session 69: Union Formation