"When Are You Getting Married?" The Intergenerational Transmission of Attitudes Regarding Marital Timing and Marital Importance

Keywords

marriage, attitudes, young adult, parents, intergenerational transmission

Abstract

Using a sample of 335 young adults and their parents, this study investigated the intergenerational transmission of marital attitudes from parents to their children and how parental marital quality moderates that relationship. Results suggested that the marital attitudes of both mothers and fathers are related to the marital attitudes of their children. Parents’ marital quality had little direct impact on the marital attitudes of their young adult children but did moderate the relationship between fathers’ marital attitudes and their young adults’ marital attitudes. The association between fathers’ marital attitudes and their children’s marital attitudes increased at higher levels of marital quality.

Original Publication Citation

Willoughby, B. J., Carroll, J. S.,Vitas, J.* & Hill, L.* (2012) “When are you getting married?” The intergenerational transmission of attitudes regarding marital timing and marital importance. Journal of Family Issues, 33, 223-245.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2011-05-15

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7163

Publisher

Journal of Family Issues

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

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