Married...with children: The science of well-being in marriage and family life

Nelson-Coffey, S. K. (2018). Married...with children: The science of well-being in marriage and family life.  In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.),  Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers. DOI:nobascholar.com.

Abstract: As  some  of  the  most  important  relationships  in  people’s  lives,  marriage  and  parenthood  offer  many opportunities  for  people  to  experience  great  joy  or  to suffer  incredible  disappointment.  In  the  current chapter, I review current understanding of whether, how, and why marriage and parenthood are associated with well-being, drawing on evidence from cross-sectional, longitudinal, and daily experience studies. I also consider the implications of family structure for the associations between marriage and well-being, and parenthood  and  well-being,  respectively.  Current evidence  provides  relatively  robust  support  for  the association between marriage and well-being; however, the association between parenthood is much more complex. I conclude with a number of suggestions for future research.

Keywords: Family, Marriage, Parenthood, Well-Being, Happiness