Studies that have attempted to show how marital quality changes over the life course suggest that quality declines rapidly in the first year or two, but among marriages that survive, tends to increase sharply after the third year.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Most studies on marital quality over the life course suggest that marital satisfaction tends to start high, decrease over time, especially with the arrival of children, and may increase again during the later stages, particularly after children leave home. The pattern is not typically a rapid decline followed by a sharp increase after the third year.

Studies That Have Attempted to Show How Marital Quality Changes