Intergenerational Relationship Conflict and Selection into Marriage

• In Event: 499 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Roundtable Session.
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Family Relationships and Social Support

Abstract

Relationship conflict is a result, at least in part, of decisions to be in a committed relationship. Some of the people who inevitably do not select into married relationships are likely to do so because of the relationship functioning of their parents. However, some of the individuals that experience negative parent relationships will still get married, essentially hiding part of the effect of the carryover of relationship functioning from parents to their adult children later on. In order to test if there is some selection that affects whether individuals differ in relationship conflict and perceived chance of separation based on this idea, a two-step Heckman selection model is used to assess the likelihood of selection into marriage and its effect on parent relationship conflict and perceived dissolution predicting the adult child generation’s relationship conflict and perceived dissolution. Findings suggest some of this has to do with selection effects, and that there are some demographic and psychosocial factors in selection into marriage.

Author

• Matthew Perry, State University of New York-Buffalo