title: The Timing of Cohabitation and Engagement: Impact on First and Second Marriages.
abstract: Using a multi-state sample of marriages that took place in the 1990s, this study examined associations between premarital cohabitation history and marital quality in first (N = 437) and second marriages (N = 200), and marital instability in first marriages (intact N = 521, divorced N = 124). For first marriages, cohabiting with the spouse without first being engaged or married was associated with more negative interaction, higher self-reported divorce proneness, and a greater probability of divorce compared to cohabiting after engagement or marriage (with patterns in the same direction for marital positivity). In contrast, there was a general risk associated with premarital cohabitation for second marriages on self-reported indices of marital quality, with or without engagement when cohabitation began.
authors.affiliation: University of Denver.
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: Galena K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Rhoades
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.forename: Howard J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Markman
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Johnson