The effect of parenthood on marriage

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 and working class couples from New York City. Husbands and wives completed similar closed-ended questionnaires at three points in time: five months into the pregnancy, five weeks after the child was born, and five months after the birth.

In the first wave of the study, 624 wives and 577 husbands returned completed questionnaires. Data were collected from 486 husbands and 499 wives in the second wave. Finally, 465 husbands and 457 wives participated in the third wave. The questionnaires explore parental expectations before and after the birth of the child as well as changes in the dynamics of the husband-wife relationship that are related to childbearing and child-rearing.

The Murray Center holds computer-accessible data from this study. There are sample paper data from four couples.