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Patterns of Singlehood, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Early Adulthood in Relation to Well-being in Established Adulthood.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lansford, JE; Rauer, A; Pettit, GS; Godwin, J; Bates, JE; Dodge, KA
Published in: Research in human development
January 2024

In a cohort followed from late adolescence until established adulthood, this study examined how singlehood, cohabitation, and marriage are related to well-being at different ages across early adulthood and into established adulthood.Participants (N = 585) from three U.S. sites reported their marital and residential status at ages 18, 23, 28, and 34, when they also reported on physical, psychological, and social indicators of well-being. Findings suggest that being married compared to single earlier in adulthood is related to several indicators of better age 34 well-being. Although single and married participants did not differ on all indicators of well-being, married participants across several ages had less problematic substance use, better health, more economic security, and fewer internalizing and externalizing problems at age 34. Cohabiting participants' well-being was more similar to the well-being of the single than married participants on most indicators (and on all indicators by age 34). Findings did not differ by gender. The findings suggest that despite normative increases in singlehood and cohabitation, the present cohort shows that marriage continued to be associated with well-being at age 34.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Research in human development

DOI

EISSN

1542-7617

ISSN

1542-7609

Publication Date

January 2024

Volume

21

Issue

1

Start / End Page

72 / 87

Related Subject Headings

  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5202 Biological psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Lansford, J. E., Rauer, A., Pettit, G. S., Godwin, J., Bates, J. E., & Dodge, K. A. (2024). Patterns of Singlehood, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Early Adulthood in Relation to Well-being in Established Adulthood. Research in Human Development, 21(1), 72–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2024.2321400
Lansford, Jennifer E., Amy Rauer, Gregory S. Pettit, Jennifer Godwin, John E. Bates, and Kenneth A. Dodge. “Patterns of Singlehood, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Early Adulthood in Relation to Well-being in Established Adulthood.Research in Human Development 21, no. 1 (January 2024): 72–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2024.2321400.
Lansford JE, Rauer A, Pettit GS, Godwin J, Bates JE, Dodge KA. Patterns of Singlehood, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Early Adulthood in Relation to Well-being in Established Adulthood. Research in human development. 2024 Jan;21(1):72–87.
Lansford, Jennifer E., et al. “Patterns of Singlehood, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Early Adulthood in Relation to Well-being in Established Adulthood.Research in Human Development, vol. 21, no. 1, Jan. 2024, pp. 72–87. Epmc, doi:10.1080/15427609.2024.2321400.
Lansford JE, Rauer A, Pettit GS, Godwin J, Bates JE, Dodge KA. Patterns of Singlehood, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Early Adulthood in Relation to Well-being in Established Adulthood. Research in human development. 2024 Jan;21(1):72–87.
Journal cover image

Published In

Research in human development

DOI

EISSN

1542-7617

ISSN

1542-7609

Publication Date

January 2024

Volume

21

Issue

1

Start / End Page

72 / 87

Related Subject Headings

  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5202 Biological psychology
  • 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology