The University’s National Marriage Project released a report earlier this month analyzing the effects of premarital conditions on future marital success. The researchers found that fewer prior relationships, deliberative decision making, and bigger weddings were associated with increased happiness in marriage.
The study, titled, “Before ‘I Do’,” was led by University of Denver Profs. Galena Rhoades and Scott Stanley.
Rhoades said researchers wanted to investigate whether couples living together prior to marriage had a higher prevalence of divorce and marital distress.
In their introduction, researchers said modern culture is evolving, with more “relationship milestones,” such as having children, occurring prior to marriage.
The order in which couples cross relationship milestones, known as a relationship sequence, historically began with courtship and was followed by marriage, cohabitation, sex and children. In modern society, however, marriage falls further toward the end of the sequence.
Rhoades and Stanley questioned whether changes to the relationship sequence and premarital experience affect marital happiness and stability.
“For me personally, I’m interested in this area because the findings seem counterintuitive … for example, that having more relationship experience would lower marital quality,” Rhoades said.
Between 2007 and 2008, 1,293 unmarried Americans who were in relationships and between the ages 18 and 34 were recruited for the study. Through the next five years, 418 of the recruited individuals were married, who the researchers then studied.
Following this analysis, Rhoades and Stanley concluded past experiences, decision making within the relationship, and wedding size are three major elements which influence marriage quality.
Past relationship experiences, namely serious romantic involvement, sex, and children, affect the quality of marriage for many couples. According to the study, men and women who had premarital sex with only their future spouse reported having a stronger relationship than those who did not. Additionally, women who had fewer sexual partners prior to marriage reported having higher marriage quality.
“Relationships with no future are not necessarily bad, but they may impact your future relationships, so it is smart to think about that,” Rhoades said. “In a related way, it seems like when people slide through relationship stages, it is also associated with lower marital quality.”
The order in which couples move through relationships stages, such as cohabitation or having children, can also impact marriage success. According to the study, those who unintentionally cross these relationship milestones have lower marriage quality than couples who decide on their relationship sequence together.
“[Young people] think marriage is so far down the line and they don’t evaluate their current relationship,” Rhoades said. “People want marriage to be important and [they] want to make a good decision, but there can be a disconnect where people don’t actually think about the relationship.”
More guests present at weddings were also associated with higher marriage quality, potentially because of a larger community supporting the marriage.
Rhoades said millennials preparing for marriage often do not have a strong concept of what a healthy relationship is.
“[Today’s] young people are especially less likely to grow up with good models for healthy relationships,” she said. “They want to make sure they make the right choice in terms of relationships and marriage, but this can backfire.”
Rhoades said college students can take steps now to work toward a successful marriage in the future.
“It is important to have healthy relationships where you communicate, respect, and trust your partner even if it’s not a relationship that turns into marriage,” Rhoades said.
She also advised young people to be wary of constraints, such as signing a lease or purchasing a dog with a significant other.
“It is important for young people to think about the sequence of things and make sure they’re not building constraints or things keeping them in relationship,” Rhoades said. “You don’t want to get yourself into a relationship where you feel stuck, which makes it hard to get out.”
The National Marriage Project was founded in 1997 by Rutgers University Sociology Prof. David Popenoe. In 2009, the Project was moved to the University. The Project is currently directed by W. Bradford Wilcox, associate professor of sociology at the University.
The NMP is a nonpartisan research organization that aims to provide analysis on marriage patterns in American society and recognize strategies to improve marital success.
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