Developmental trajectories of marital happiness in continuously married individuals: A group-based modeling approach.

Abstract

Most contemporary studies of change in marital quality over time have used growth curve modeling to describe continuously declining mean curves. However, there is some evidence that different trajectories of marital quality exist for different subpopulations. Group-based trajectory modeling provides the opportunity to conduct an empirical investigation of the variance in marital quality trajectories. We applied this method to analyze data from continuously married individuals from the Marital Instability over the Life Course Study (N ϭ 706). Instead of a single continuously declining trajectory of marital happiness, we found 5 distinct trajectories. Nearly two thirds of participants reported high and stable levels of happiness over time, and the other one third showed either a pattern of continuous low happiness, low happiness that subsequently declined, or a curvilinear pattern of high happiness, decline, and recovery. Marital problems, time spent in shared activities, and (to a lesser degree) economic hardship were able to distinguish trajectory group membership. Our results suggest that marital happiness may have multiple distinct trajectories across reasonably diverse populations. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.

A Longitudinal Examination of Women's Perceptions of Marital Power and Marital Happiness in Midlife Marriages

“…The high level of stability of reported marital happiness over time found in this study is consistent with previous longitudinal research (Anderson, Van Ryzin, & Doherty, 2010). Indeed, from a systems theory perspective, the findings of high stability of marital happiness over time are consistent with the concept of homeostasis (Miller, 2000), which suggests that marital interaction develops patterns of stability and equilibrium.…”

Variation in trajectories of women’s marital quality

“…As a result, virtually everything we know about how marital quality changes over time is based on the notion that most marriages change in similar ways (Anderson et al, 2010). Therefore, this paper focuses on whether this notion of similarity is true or whether some people follow markedly different trajectories of marital quality.…”

The Impact of Premarital Cycling on Early Marriage

“…VanLaningham, Johnson, & Amato, 2001) and husbands' and wives' trajectories are interrelated (Cui & Donnellan, 2008). More recent studies employing growth mixture modeling demonstrated satisfaction follows stable trajectories for the majority of spouses (Anderson et al, 2010;Kamp Dush et al, 2008;Lavner & Bradbury, 2010) and newlywed relationship characteristics are the best discriminators of the trajectory their relationship satisfaction will follow , although no research has specifically examined the impact of premarital cycling on trajectories of marital satisfaction.…”

“…Additionally, researchers using growth mixture modeling found couples enter marriage with differing initial levels of relationship satisfaction, but the majority of couples maintain their initial level of satisfaction (Anderson, Van Ryzin, & Doherty, 2010;Lavner & Bradbury, 2010).…”