Weaker Marriages

Couples who live together before marriage have weaker marriages, according to the Journal of Marriage and the Family. The magazine ran an article focusing on a study by researchers Alfred DeMars and Gerald Leslie. Their hypothesis was that couples who live together prior to marriage would be better adjusted and more satisfied with marriage. However, DeMars and Leslie discovered that those who had lived together before marriage scored lower on tests measuring communication in marriage than couples who did not cohabit. They also scored lower on tests rating satisfaction with their marriages, were less likely to stay in a marriage in troubled times, and had less satisfying marriages.