Effects of Cohabitation

Research Summary

Prepared by Brandon Wall

Staff Researcher

Heart to Heart Communication, LC

First Posted March 21, 2011

• Since 1970 the rate of living together outside of marriage has increased more than 6 fold, from 1.1% to 7.4% of couples in 1999 (Smith, 2006).

• 61% of people married in the 5 years prior to the survey had cohabited pre-martially, whereas the rate was only 13% for those married 20 to 31 years earlier (Stanley, Whitton, and Markman, 2004).

• Currently over a third of adults in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties cohabited before their first marriage and half of this age group has cohabited at some point in their lives (Smith, 2006).

• Among those 25-44 who are in a second marriage, 61% cohabited with their new spouse before marriage (Smith, 2006; General Social Survey 1994).

• Cohabitation is usually a short-term arrangement, typically resulting in either marriage or a break-up after about a year (median duration of 1.3 years) (Smith, 2006; Thomson and Colella, 1992; Bumpass and Sweet, 1989).

• Cohabitation has often been characterized as a trial marriage and about 40% lead to marriage within two years and about 60% eventually culminate in marriage between the cohabiting partners (Smith, 2006; Bumpass and Sweet, 1989).

• Marriages formed after cohabitation are rated as less stable and result in more divorces than marriages not preceded by living together (Smith, 2006; Axinn and Thornton, 1992; Brown and Booth, 1996).

• Those who are cohabiting have fewer sexual partners than those who are unmarried and not cohabitating (Smith, 2006).

• However, people who are cohabitating have more sexual partners than married couples (Smith, 2006; Waite and Joyner, 1996).

• Infidelity during marriage is more common among people who lived together prior to marriage than those who did not. (Smith, 2006; Forste and Tanfer 1996).

• Cohabiting men are four times as likely as husbands to report infidelity in the past year. (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994; McManus and McManus, 2008).

• Cohabiting women are eight times more likely than wives to cheat on their partners (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994; McManus and McManus, 2008).

• People who lived together before marriage have a higher rate of divorce than those who did not live together (Kamp Dush, Cohan, & Amato, 2003).

• People who lived together before marriage report that it is more likely they will divorce than people who did not live together (Thomson and Colella, 1992).

• People who lived together before marriage have more negative communication in their marriages than those who did not live together (Cohan & Kleinbaum, 2002; DeMaris & Leslie, 1984).

• People who lived together before marriage have lower levels of marital satisfaction than those who did not live together (DeMaris & Leslie, 1984)

• Higher levels of conflict (Thomson & Colella, 1992).

• Physical aggression is more common among married individuals who lived together before marriage than those who did not (Stets & Straus, 1989)

• 60% of those who had cohabited before marriage were more verbally aggressive, less supportive of one another, and more hostile than the 40 % of spouses who had not lived together (Cohan, Kleinbaum, 2002)

Sources

Axinn, William G. and Thornton, Arland. (1992). The relationship between             cohabitation and divorce: Selectivity or causal influence? Demography, 29, 357-374.

Brown, Susan L. and Booth, Alan. (1996). Cohabitation versus marriage: A comparison of relationship quality. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 668-678.

Bumpass, Larry L. and Sweet, James. (1989). National estimates of cohabitation.              Demography, 26, 615-626.

Cohan, C. L., and Kleinbaum, S. (2002). Toward a greater understanding of the
Cohabitation effect: Premarital cohabitation and marital communication. Journal of
Marriage and Family, 64, 180-192.

DeMaris, A., Leslie, G.R. (1984). Cohabitation with future spouse: Its influence upon
marital satisfaction and communication. Journal of Marriage and Family, 46, 77-
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Forste, R. and Tanfer, K. (1996). Sexual exclusivity among dating, cohabiting, and married women. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 594-600.

Kamp Dush,C.M., Cohan,C.L., & Amato, P.R. (2003). The relationship between cohabitation and marital quality and stability: Change across cohorts?  Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 539 – 549.

Kline, G. H., Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., Olmos-Gallo, P. A., St. Peters, M., Whitton, S. W., Prado, L. (2004). Timing is everything: Pre-engagement cohabitation and increased risk for poor marital outcomes. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 311-318.

Laumann, Edward O., Gagnon, John H., Michael, Robert T., Michaels, Stuart. (1994). The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

McManus, Mike, and McManus, Harriet. (2008). Living Together: Myths, Risks & Answers. New York: Howard Books.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J.  (2009). The pre-engagement cohabitation effect: A replication and extension of previous findings. Journal of Family Psychology, 30, 233 – 258.

Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J.  (2009).  Couples’ reasons for cohabitation: Associations with individual well-being and relationship quality.  Journal of Family Issues, 30, 233 – 258.

Smith, T.W. (2006). American Sexual Behavior: Trends, Socio-Demographic Differences, and Risk Behavior. GSS Topical Report No. 25. Chicago.

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., Amato, P. R., Markman, H. J., & Johnson, C. A. (2010). The timing of cohabitation and engagement: Impact on first and second marriages. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 906-918.

Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J.  (2006).  Sliding vs. Deciding: Inertia and the premarital cohabitation effect.  Family Relations, 55, 499 – 509.

Stanley, S.M., Whitton, S. W., & Markman, H. J.  (2004). Maybe I do: Interpersonal commitment and premarital or nonmarital cohabitation. Journal of Family Issues, 25, 496-519.

Stanley, S.  (1998).  The heart of commitment: Compelling research that reveals the secrets of a lifelong, intimate marriage.  Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Stets, JE, and Strous, M. A. (1989). The marriage license as a hitting license: A comparison of assaults in dating, cohabiting, and married couples Journal of Family Violence, 4(2), 161-180.

Thomson, Elizabeth and Colella, Ugo. (1992). Cohabitation and marital stability: Quality or commitment? Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 259-267.

Thornton, Arland.  (1988).Cohabitation and marriage in the 1980s. Demography, 25,         497-508.

Waite, Linda J. and Joyner, Kara. (1996). Men’s and women’s general happiness and         sexual satisfaction in marriage, cohabitation, and single living. Paper presented to the Population Research Center’s Demography Workshop.