The effect of parenthood on marriage

by Harold Feldman

This short-term longitudinal study, sometimes referred to as the First Child Study, examined the impact of the birth of the first child on the marriage of young couples. First time parents were compared with childless couples and also with couples who were having their second child. Included in the design of the study was a test of the role theory hypothesis that marital satisfaction changes as a result of parenthood. The sample for this study was selected from the following: working class couples from Flint, Michigan; students and middle class couples from Ithaca, New York; and both upper...