Although much has been learned from cross-sectional research on marriage, an understanding of how marriages develop, succeed, and fail is best achieved with longitudinal data. In view of growing interest in longitudinal research on marriage, the authors reviewed and evaluated the literature on how the quality and stability of marriages change over time. First, prevailing theoretical perspectives are examined for their ability to explain change in marital quality and stability. Second, the methods and findings of 115 longitudinal studies--representing over 45,000 marriages--are summarized and evaluated, yielding specific suggestions for improving this research, Finally, a model is outlined that integrates the strengths of previous theories of marriage, accounts for established findings, and indicates new directions for research on how marriages change.

The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, methods, and research.

The theoretical basis for measuring child costs is discussed, and detailed consideration is given to two straightforward procedures for calculation, Engel's food share method and Rothbarth's adult good method. Each of these methods embodies different definitions of child costs so that the same empirical evidence can generate quite different estimates depending on the method used. It is shown that true costs are generally overstated by Engel's method and understated by Rothbarth's procedure, although the latter, unlike the former, can provide a sensible starting point for cost measurement. Our estimates from Sri Lankan and Indonesian data suggest that children cost their parents about 30-40 percent of what they spend on themselves.

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On Measuring Child Costs: With Applications to Poor Countries.

Longitudinal study of marital success and failure.

This review presents a comprehensive survey of the literature on mate selection and non‐random mating in man. The topics discussed include: (1) genetic aspects of non‐random mating for complex traits; (2) evidence on resemblance between spouses on a large variety of traits such as intelligence, personality, physical characteristics, and sociocultural traits; (3) a critical review of sociological and psychological theories offered to account for assortative mating, and (4) implications of assortative mating for marital satisfaction. It is suggested that the factors leading to choice of marriage partners need to be studied from the point of view of multivariate profiles rather than single traits. Such studies will require sophisticated methodologies of research design and data analysis.

Mate selection in man: evidence, theory, and outcome.

From the contents: Preface.- Introduction: Chapter 1: The Analytical Approach.- Part I: Issues of early transition.- Chapter 2: Pretransitional population control and equilibrium.- Chapter 3: Was there a Neolithic mortality crisis?.- Chapter 4: Population intensification theory.- Chapter 5: Wealth flows revisited.- Chapter 6: Fertility control in the classical world: was there an ancient fertility transition?.- Chapter 7: Family size control by infanticide in the great agrarian societies of Asia.- Part II: The Modern Transition.- Chapter 8: Transmuting the industrial revolution into mortality decline.- Chapter 9: The delayed Western fertility decline: an examination of English- speaking countries.- Chapter 10: Regional paths to fertility transition.- Chapter 11: The globalization of fertility behavior.- Chapter 12: Social upheaval and fertility decline.- Chapter 13: Demographic theory: a long view.- Chapter 14: Policy responses to low fertility and its consequences: a global survey.- Chapter 15: Explanation of the fertility crisis in modern societies: a search for commonalities.- Chapter 16: Back to the future: the great mortality crises.- Index.

Demographic Transition Theory

Theory of Fertility Decline

Marital Role Segregation and Social Networks in Middle-Class Middle-Aged Couples

One hundred fifty engaged couples were administered personality tests and mate perception tests and then were followed up over a period of five years to determine whether they married or broke the engagement. Using discriminant function analysis, the investigator measured the contributions of individual personality, personality match, and mate perception to discriminating those who married from those who broke up. No contribution was found for individual personality, personality match, accuracy of mate perception, or perception of mate similarity, for either sex. However, engaged men who married did attribute some different traits to their female partners than those who broke the engagements.

Personality Match and Interpersonal Perception as Predictors of Marriage

Journey into Sexuality: An Exploratory Voyage

This study attempted to determine whether ideal mate images actually influence mate selection. The mate perceptions of 90 engaged persons were compared with the ideal mate conceptions of single, unengaged persons precision-matched to the engaged individuals on personality characteristics. Analysis of personality and perception correlation matrices lead to the observation that mate perceptions of engaged persons, although highly inaccurate, bear little resemblance to the ideal mate conceptions of unengaged single persons. The mate actually selected has different personality relationships to the self than the ideal mate has, and is perceived as having different relationships to the self than are conceived between the ideal mate and the self. It is concluded that the ideal mate images are therefore probably of little importance in mate selection; neither are they a salient feature in the perception of the selected mate.

J. Richard Udry

Papers

Theory of Fertility Decline

Marital Role Segregation and Social Networks in Middle-Class Middle-Aged Couples

Personality Match and Interpersonal Perception as Predictors of Marriage

Journey into Sexuality: An Exploratory Voyage

The Influence of the Ideal Mate Image on Mate Selection and Mate Perception