Marital Ideals
Poulsen, Franklin O.; Reid, Kyle; Holman, Tomas B.
Abstract
There is a scant but growing literature exploring how marital ideals influence dating and marriage among young Americans. This research indicates that a person’s marital ideals are predictive of marital success (Fletcher, Simpson, & Thomas, 2000), and that similarity in ideals especially those that are value based help ensure positive marital outcomes (Acitelli, Kenny & Weiner, 2001). Americans in particular are looking for a partner who is caring, social, a good communicator, involved in a career, independent, family-oriented, and intelligent. (Knobloch-Fedders& Knudson, 2009). In this study we were interested in exploring a conceptual model that includes the source of marital ideals, what these ideals look like and how they influence marriage for young single Latter-day Saints (LDS). We were also interested in whether marital ideals among LDS young adults are more American or more Mormon.