Parenthood and Marital Satisfaction: A Meta‐Analytic Review
2003/08/01 by Jean M. Twenge, W. Keith Campbell, Craig A. Foster · 909 citations
Medicine · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics #Clinical psychology #Demography #Developmental psychology #Family Dynamics and Relationships #Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving #Marital status #Medicine #Meta-analysis #Population #Psychology #Socioeconomic status
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00574.x
published in Journal of Marriage and the Family 65(3), 574-583 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2003/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Abstract
This meta‐analysis finds that parents report lower marital satisfaction compared with nonparents ( d =−.19, r =−.10). There is also a significant negative correlation between marital satisfaction and number of children ( d =−.13, r =−.06). The difference in marital satisfaction is most pronounced among mothers of infants (38% of mothers of infants have high marital satisfaction, compared with 62% of childless women). For men, the effect remains similar across ages of children. The effect of parenthood on marital satisfaction is more negative among high socioeconomic groups, younger birth cohorts, and in more recent years. The data suggest that marital satisfaction decreases after the birth of a child due to role conflicts and restriction of freedom.
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