Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects Of The Number And Spacing Of Children On Marital And Parental Satisfaction

  • Published:
Demography

Abstract

Analyzing data from a fifteen-year follow-up study of high school students originally surveyed in 1957–58 and resurveyed in 1973–74, this paper examines the effects of the number and spacing of children on marital and parental satisfaction. The results suggest that the number of children in the family has no direct effect on marital satisfaction but has a direct negative effect on parental satisfaction. Childspacing, as measured by the length of the average birth interval, is found to have no significant effect on either marital or parental satisfaction. Premarital pregnancy has a negative effect on both the marital and parental satisfaction of women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander, K. and B. K. Eckland. 1974. Sex Differences in the Educational Attainment Process. American Sociological Review 39:668–682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andree, M. and F. Feyrabend. 1969. Real Number of Children and Conjugal Interaction in French Urban Families. Journal of Marriage and the Family 31:359–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Axelson, L. 1963. Marital Adjustment and Marital Role Definitions of Husbands of Working and Non-Working Wives. Marriage and Family Living 25:189–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G. S., E. M. Landes, and R. T. Michael. 1977. An Economic Analysis of Marital Instability. Journal of Political Economy 85:1141–1187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, G. S. and H. G. Lewis. 1973. On the Interaction Between the Quantity and Quality of Children. Journal of Political Economy 81:S279-S288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blood, R. O. and D. M. Wolfe. 1960. Husbands and Wives: The Dynamics of Married Living. Glencoe: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, W. G. and T. A. Finegan. 1969. The Economics of Labor Force Participation. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bumpass, L. 1974. Fertility Differences by Employment Patterns and Role Attitudes. Working paper 74-23, Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

  • — and E. K. Mburugu, 1977. Age at Marriage and Completed Family Size. Social Biology 24:31–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and J. A. Sweet. 1972. Differentials in Marital Instability: 1970. American Sociological Review 37:754–766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burr, W. R. 1970. Satisfaction with Various Aspects of Marriage Over the Life Cycle: A Random Middle Class Sample. Journal of Marriage and the Family 32:29–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Busfield, J. 1972. Age at Marriage and Family Size: Social Causation and Social Selection Hypotheses. Journal of Biosocial Science 4:117–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A., P. E. Converse, and W. L. Rodgers. 1976. The Quality of American Life. New York: Russell Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christensen, H. T. 1963. Childspacing Analysis Via Record Linkage: New Data Plus a Summing Up from Earlier Reports. Marriage and Family Living 25:272–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — 1968. Children in the Family: Relationship of Number and Spacing to Marital Success. Journal of Marriage and the Family 30:283–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and R. E. Philbrick. 1952. Family Size as a Factor in the Marital Adjustments of College Students. American Sociological Review 17:306–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clifford, W. B. and P. L. Tobin. 1977. Labor Force Participation of Working Mothers and Family Formation: Some Further Evidence. Demography 14:273–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. S. 1961. The Adolescent Society. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, O. D., R. Freedman, J. M. Coble, and D. P. Slesinger. 1965. Marital Fertility and the Size of the Family of Orientation. Demography 2:508515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, H. 1965. Development of the Husband-Wife Relationship: A Research Report. Ithaca: Department of Child Development and Family Relations, Cornell University.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. 1971. The Effects of Children on the Family. In M. Andree (ed.), Family Issues of Employed Women in Europe and America. Leiden, The Netherlands: E. F. Brill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figley, C. 1973. Child Density and the Marital Relationship. Journal of Marriage and the Family 35:272–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geiken, K. F. 1964. Expectation Concerning Husband-Wife Responsibilities in the Home. Journal of Marriage and the Family 26:349–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glenn, N. D. and C. N. Weaver. 1978. A Multivariate, Multisurvey Study of Marital Happiness. Journal of Marriage and the Family 40:269–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gover, D. A. 1963. Socio-economic Differential in the Relationship Between Marital Adjustment and Wife’s Employment Status. Marriage and Family Living 25:452–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groat, H. T., R. L. Workman, and A. G. Neal. 1976. Labor Force Participation and Family Formation: A Study of Working Mothers. Demography 13:115–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hastings, D. W. 1971. Childspacing Differentials for White and Non-White Couples According to Educational Level of Attainment for the 1/1000 Sample of the United States Population in 1960. Population Studies 25:105–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and W. W. Robinson. 1975. Open and Closed Birth Intervals for Once-Married Spouse Present White Women. Demography 12:455–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. L. 1968. Association Between Companionship, Hostility, and Marital Satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family 30:647–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendershot, G. E. 1969. Familial Satisfaction, Birth Order, and Fertility Values. Journal of Marriage and the Family 31:27–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, M. W. and M. Platt. 1970. Marital Happiness and Stability: A Review of Research in the Sixties. Journal of Marriage and the Family 32:553574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurley, J. R. and D. P. Palonen. 1967. Marital Satisfaction and Child Density Among University Student Parents. Journal of Marriage and the Family 29:483–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landis, J. T. 1946. Length of Time Required to Achieve Adjustment in Marriage. American Sociological Review 11:666–677.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, Y. C. 1952. Marital Roles and Marital Adjustment. Sociology and Social Research 36:364–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luckey, E. B. 1966. Number of Years Married as Related to Personality Perception and Marital Satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family 28:44–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and J. K. Bain. 1970. Children: A Factor in Marital Satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family 32:43–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marini, M. M. 1974. Individual and Contextual Influences on the Future Orientations of Adolescents. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1977. The “Adolescent Society” Follow-up Study: Description of the Data. Seattle: Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers.

    Google Scholar 

  • — 1978a. Consequences of Childbearing and Childspacing Patterns for Parents. Seattle: Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. 1978b. The Transition to Adulthood: Sex Differences in Educational Attainment and Age at Marriage. American Sociological Review 43:483507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marini, M. M. 1979. Effects of the Timing of Marriage and First Birth on Fertility. Working paper, Health and Population Study Center, Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers.

  • Marini, M. M. and P. J. Hodsdon. 1979. Effects of the Timing of Marriage and First Birth on the Spacing of Subsequent Births. Working paper, Health and Population Study Center, Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers.

  • —, A. R. Olsen, and D. B. Rubin. 1980. Maximum-Likelihood Estimation in Panel Studies with Missing Data. Pp. 314–357 in K. F. Schuessler (ed.), Sociological Methodology 1980. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, B. C. 1975. Child Density, Marital Satisfaction, and Conventionalization: A Research Note. Journal of Marriage and the Family 37:345–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — 1976. A Multivariate Development Model of Marital Satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and the Family 38:643–657.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, C. W. and H. Pope. 1977. Marital Instability: A Study of Its Transmission Between Generations. Journal of Marriage and the Family 39:8393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nye, F. I. 1961. Maternal Employment and Marital Interaction: Some Contingent Conditions. Social Forces 40:113–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — J. Carlson, and G. Farrett. 1970. Family Size, Interaction, Affect and Stress. Journal of Marriage and the Family 32:216–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orden, S. R. and N. M. Bradburn. 1969. Working Wives and Marriage Happiness. American Journal of Sociology 74:392–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orthner, D. K. 1975. Leisure Activity Patterns and Marital Satisfaction Over the Marital Career. Journal of Marriage and the Family 37:91–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris, B. L. and E. B. Luckey. 1966. A Longitudinal Study in Marital Satisfaction. Sociology and Social Research 50:212–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pope, H. and C. W. Mueller. 1976. The Intergenerational Transmission of Marital Instability: Comparisons by Race and Sex. Journal of Social Issues 32:49–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Presser, H. B. 1975. Female Employment and the First Birth. Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California.

  • Reed, R. B. 1947. Social and Psychological Factors Affecting Fertility. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly 25:383–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renne, K. S. 1970. Correlates of Dissatisfaction in Marriage. Journal of Marriage and the Family 32:54–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rollins, B. C. and H. Feldman. 1970. Marital Satisfaction Over the Family Life Cycle. Journal of Marriage and the Family 32:20–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and K. L. Cannon. 1974. Marital Satisfaction Over the Family Life Cycle:A Reevaluation. Journal of Marriage and the Family 36:271–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryder, N. B. 1973. Recent Trends and Group Differences in Fertility. Pp. 57–68 in C. F. Westoff (ed.), Toward the End of Growth. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and C. F. Westoff. 1971. Reproduction in the United States 1965. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and C. F. Westoff. 1972. Wanted and Unwanted Fertility in the United States, 1965 and 1970. In C. F. Westoff and R. Parke, Jr. (eds.), Commission on Population Growth and the American Future, Research Report, Vol. I: Demographic and Social Aspects of Population Growth. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sewell, W. H. and R. M. Hauser. 1975. Education, Occupation and Earnings. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spanier, G. B., R. A. Lewis, and C. L. Cole. 1975. Marital Adjustment Over the Family Life Cycle: The Issue of Curvilinearity. Journal of Marriage and the Family 37:263–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Staines, G. L. and J. H. Pleck, 1978. Wives’ Employment Status and Marital Adjustment: Yet Another Look. Psychology of Women Quarterly 3:90–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sweet, J. A. 1973. Women in the Labor Force. New York: Seminar Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, A. 1977. Children and Marital Stability. Journal of Marriage and the Family 39:531–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — 1978. Marital Dissolution, Remarriage, and Childbearing. Demography 15:361–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1977. Marital and Family Characteristics of the Labor Force in March 1976. Special Labor Force Report 206.

  • Waite, L. J. and R. M. Stolzenberg. 1976. Intended Childbearing and Labor Force Participation of Young Women: Insights from Nonrecursive Models. American Sociological Review 41:235–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weller, R. H. 1977. Wife’s Employment and Cumulative Family Size in the United States, 1970 and 1960. Demography 14:43–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whelpton, P. K. 1964. Trends and Differentials in the Spacing of Births. Demography 1:83–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willis, R. J. 1973. A New Approach to the Economic Theory of Fertility Behavior. Journal of Political Economy 81:514–564.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, B. L. 1979. Childbearing and/or Labor Force Participation: The Education Connection. In J. L. Simon and J. DaVanzo (eds.), Research in Population Economics 2.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers, 98105, Seattle, Washington

    Margaret Mooney Marini

Authors
  1. Margaret Mooney Marini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mooney Marini, M. Effects Of The Number And Spacing Of Children On Marital And Parental Satisfaction. Demography 17, 225–242 (1980). https://doi.org/10.2307/2061101

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2061101

Keywords

Search

Navigation