Relative work and family role centralities: Predicting changes in marriage and family beliefs

Keywords

marital beliefs; role centrality; role salience; transition to adulthood

Abstract

How might anticipated role priorities (centrality) influence changes in beliefs about marriage and family that can influence to the transition to adulthood? The current longitudinal study of 149 young adults investigated changes in the relative role centralities of anticipated adult roles and the predictability of the centralities of changes in marriage and family beliefs. Using parallel procedures from Hall and Willoughby (2016), five distinct relative centrality profiles were created: Child Centered, Marriage Centered, Marriage and Child, Career Centered, and Family and Career. Fifty-four percent of the sample shifted into different relative centrality groups over the course of one year; women were more likely to become more marriage and more parenthood oriented. Relative role centrality at time 1 predicted changes in beliefs related to being child-focused, marital permanence, and marital readiness. It is argued that relative role centrality has implications for young adults’ intentions and decisions that influence the transition to adulthood.

Original Publication Citation

Hall, S., & Willoughby, B. J. (2019). Relative work and family role centralities: Predicting changes in marriage and family beliefs. Marriage & Family Review, 55, 667-685.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2019-04-01

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7901

Publisher

Marriage & Family Review

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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