A Comparison of Marriages and Cohabiting Relationships

This research analyzes data from the National Survey of Families and Households to compare marriages and cohabiting relationships. It reveals several broad differences in the nature of the two types of relationships. Specifically, cohabitors were found to express lower levels of commitment to their relationships, to report lower levels of happiness with their relationships, and to have poorer relationships with parents than comparable married individuals. The poorer quality of cohabiting relationships is argued to stem largely from the lack of institutionalization of the practice.