Higher Levels Of Marital Satisfaction Research Articles

Understanding the Interplay of Religion, Social Relationships, and Depressive Symptoms in Later Life: An Analysis of Dynamics in Individual and Dyadic Contexts.

This study examined how religious participation at the individual level and the dyadic religious similarity at the couple level influenced depressive symptoms via social relationships among older Korean couples aged 65 and above. The sample included 1,191 couples from the seventh assessment of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The findings indicated that older adults who participated in religious activities more frequently showed lower levels of depressive symptoms through increased social interactions and marital satisfaction. Additionally, older couples with similar religious backgrounds showed higher levels of marital satisfaction than those without similar religious backgrounds, subsequently leading to lower levels of depressive symptoms. Overall, the associations between religion and depressive symptoms were similar for both genders. The findings provided insights into potential mechanisms leading to later-life depressive symptoms at both the individual and couple levels in terms of religion and social relationships and informed practical implications for older couples' marital relationships.

Do Emotional Intelligence and Self-Efficacy Correlate with Marital Satisfaction of Married Teachers in Anambra State?

Aims: This study looked at married teachers in Anambra State to see how self-efficacy and emotional intelligence correlate with marital satisfaction. Three study questions were developed to evaluate this relationship, and three null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The results of this study could be used to better appreciate the value of marriage as a union between a man and woman that promotes both mental and physical health through marital satisfaction.
 Methodology: For this study, a correlational research design was used in order to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence, general self-efficacy, and marital satisfaction. A sample of 1,344 married teachers was selected from a population of 6,987 married teachers through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Three instruments - the emotional intelligence scale (EIS), the general self-efficacy scale (GSS), and the index of marital satisfaction (IMS)—were used to collect data. These instruments are standardised measures with reliability coefficients of 0.96 for IMS, 0.89 for EIS, and 0.87 for GSS. Data collection was done through a direct delivery approach. Aggregate scores were used to answer research questions, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients were used to answer research questions, and regression analysis was used to answer research questions. The hypotheses were tested using the t-test of correlation. This method is used to assess the relationship between two variables, and to determine if the difference between their means is statistically significant.
 Results: The study demonstrated that there is a slight yet positive relationship between the emotional intelligence, self-efficacy beliefs, and marital satisfaction of married teachers.
 Conclusion: Research findings indicate that emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and marital satisfaction are positively correlated among married teachers in Anambra State. This positive correlation suggests that couples who are better able to recognise, understand, and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their partner, tend to have higher levels of marital satisfaction. Additionally, higher levels of self-efficacy, or confidence in one's ability to complete tasks or handle difficult situations, may also play a role in the overall satisfaction of the marriage.
 Given these findings, it is recommended that counsellors involved in marital counselling motivate and encourage married teachers in Anambra State to take part in seminars and counselling sessions that promote the learning of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy. These sessions can help couples better recognise, understand, and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their partner, and build confidence in their ability to handle difficult situations.

A dyadic study of the spouses’ assessment of the division of domestic labour and marital satisfaction

ABSTRACT In this study, we tested a model connecting the spouses’ assessment of the division of domestic labour and their marital satisfaction. The suggested model was tested in a dyadic study using a sample of heterosexual couples living in Israel and having at least one child (n = 479). The spouses assessed the division of domestic labour in four domains: traditionally feminine chores, traditionally masculine chores, childcare, and emotion work. Husbands who reported doing fewer traditionally feminine chores and less emotion work were more satisfied with their marriage. Wives who reported doing fewer traditionally masculine chores and less childcare and emotion work were more satisfied with their marriage. Simultaneously, husbands who reported doing fewer masculine chores and less emotion work tended to have wives with higher levels of marital satisfaction. Wives who reported doing fewer feminine chores and less emotion work tended to have husbands with higher levels of marital satisfaction. Husbands and wives reported similar levels of marital satisfaction, and their levels of marital satisfaction were strongly positively correlated. The obtained results indicated the existence of two mechanisms connecting the division of domestic labour to marital satisfaction: an egoistic mechanism and the gratitude mechanism.

The relationship between the perception of marital partner and conjugal satisfaction

The present article reflects the results of an experimental approach that focuses on the relationship between marital partner perception and couple satisfaction. The research sample is 100 married couples. The analysis of the research results shows significantly positive relationships between marital satisfaction and the perception of positive traits (friendship and altruism) that the partner. The correlational analysis revealed the relationship between certain perceived traits possesses of the marital partner and ensuring the optimal level of satisfaction in a couple, depending on the gender of the respondents. Thus, the perception of the positive traits of the marital partners correlates with a high level of marital satisfaction, and the perception of the negative traits is associated with the dissatisfaction experienced by the partner in the couple.

Relationship Between Compatibility, Leisure and Marital Satisfaction among Married Nigerians

Marital satisfaction is a vital topic of study, because of the ever developing need to fortify the well-being of individuals and families. This research aims to explore the relationship between compatibility, leisure activities and marital satisfaction among Nigerian couples. The measures used in this research were the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale. The questionnaire was distributed to married Nigerians using an online survey form. A total of 218 individuals participated in this study, but only 217 samples were analysed. The mean score suggested that there is a high level of marital satisfaction among Nigerian couples, which is consistent with the results of past studies which have investigated the levels of marital satisfaction of Nigerian couples. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the influence of compatibility and leisure activities on marital satisfaction. Results show that it was a statistically significant model (F (2,214) = 20.36, p < 0.001). Compatibility (t=6.338, p<0.001) was a statistically significant predictor of marital satisfaction. Leisure activities was not a significant predictor of marital satisfaction. The proposed recommendation for future research would be to recruit a representative sample for future studies using stratified random sampling techniques to increase generalizability.

Neural synchronization predicts marital satisfaction

Marital attachment plays an important role in maintaining intimate personal relationships and sustaining psychological well-being. Mate-selection theories suggest that people are more likely to marry someone with a similar personality and social status, yet evidence for the association between personality-based couple similarity measures and marital satisfaction has been inconsistent. A more direct and useful approach for understanding fundamental processes underlying marital satisfaction is to probe similarity of dynamic brain responses to maritally and socially relevant communicative cues, which may better reflect how married couples process information in real time and make sense of their mates and themselves. Here, we investigate shared neural representations based on intersubject synchronization (ISS) of brain responses during free viewing of marital life-related, and nonmarital, object-related movies. Compared to randomly selected pairs of couples, married couples showed significantly higher levels of ISS during viewing of marital movies and ISS between married couples predicted higher levels of marital satisfaction. ISS in the default mode network emerged as a strong predictor of marital satisfaction and canonical correlation analysis revealed a specific relation between ISS in this network and shared communication and egalitarian components of martial satisfaction. Our findings demonstrate that brain similarities that reflect real-time mental responses to subjective perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about interpersonal and social interactions are strong predictors of marital satisfaction, reflecting shared values and beliefs. Our study advances foundational knowledge of the neurobiological basis of human pair bonding.

Okul Öncesi Dönem Çocuğu Olan Anne Babaların ‎Çatışma Durumları ve Öz Yeterlik Algılarının İncelenmesi

Bu araştırmada okul öncesi dönemde çocuğu olan anne babaların ‎çatışma durumları ve öz yeterlik algılarının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada ilişkisel tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini çocuğu Gümüşhane il merkezinde bulunan özel okul öncesi eğitim ‎kurumlarına devam eden 302 ebeveyn oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın verileri Genel Bilgi ‎Formu, Genel Öz Yeterlik Ölçeği ve ‎ O’Leary-Porter Çatışma Ölçeği ile toplanmıştır. ‎Verilerin analizinde t testi, ANOVA ve regresyon analizleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda üniversite mezunu olan, gelir düzeyi yüksek olan, bir ve iki çocuk sahibi olan, çalışan, evlilik süresi 4-9 yıl olan ve evlilikten memnuniyet düzeyi yüksek olan ebeveynlerin öz yeterlik algılarının daha yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. Lise mezunu olan, gelir durumu orta düzeyde olan, üç çocuk sahibi olan, evlilik süresi 1-3 yıl arasında olan ve evliliğinden memnun olmayan ebeveynlerin ise çatışma düzeylerinin daha yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca ebeveynlerin çatışma düzeylerinin, öz yeterlilik düzeylerini negatif yönde etkilediği belirlenmiştir. ‎

Marital and Romantic Satisfaction Among Older African Americans

There remains a lack of knowledge on marital satisfaction of African Americans generally, but particularly older African Americans. In addition, only a handful of studies investigate satisfaction among couples who are unmarried. With data from the National Survey of American Life, this study examined the correlates of romantic and marital satisfaction among older African Americans. Findings reveal that married older African Americans were slightly more satisfied with their relationship than individuals who were either remarried or unmarried but in a romantic relationship. Among older African American married adults, older age was associated with higher marital satisfaction, and men had higher levels of marital satisfaction than women. Also, married older African Americans with lower family incomes reported higher marital satisfaction. Given the limited research on older African Americans couples, either married or unmarried, this study offers valuable implications for individuals and professionals engaging these couples in practical settings.

Determinants of subjective quality of life among older married adults in Poland

In recent decades, the issue of life quality and its determinants has been increasingly discussed in the scientific literature. One of the key determinants of subjective well-being is the fact of being in a relationship (formal or not) as well as its quality. The results of analyzes for other countries show that people who have a partner have a higher subjective well-being than people who do not live with their spouse, while divorced people have the lowest (and the highest level of depression). In addition to being in a relationship, its quality is also important: people more satisfied with marriage declare greater well-being than those less satisfied. The aim of the study is to analyze quality of life (expressed in terms of well-being and depression) among older people in Poland, putting emphasis on their individual (e.g. age, sex, health status, level of education) and household (financial situation) characteristics. Importantly, the analysis takes into account the quality of the marriage approximated by the satisfaction with marriage declared by both spouses separately. For the purposes of this study I use data of ‘Social Diagnosis’ study carried out in 2015 in Poland. The final sample was limited to partnered older people aged 65+. Basic individual socio-demographic and economic as well as household characteristics were controlled for.&#x0D; The results show that older partnered men in Poland have higher subjective well-being than older partnered women. Also, older partnered men report significantly higher levels of marital satisfaction than older partnered women do. Moreover, it should be underlined that higher levels of marital satisfaction among older spouses may be beneficial for their own quality of life expressed by well-being and depression. Thus, better opinion about marriage may increase subjective well-being and decrease depression level. However, this relationship is different for older partnered men and women. Positive relationship between marital satisfaction and well-being is stronger for partnered women when subjective well-being is taken into account and for men when well-being is understood as depression level.

Path Analysis of the Relationship Between Optimism, Humor, Affectivity, and Marital Satisfaction Among Infertile Couples

Marital satisfaction is an important factor for establishing a family relationship, feeling satisfied, and living happily together. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between optimism, humor, positive and negative affect, and marital satisfaction among infertile couples. The sample comprised 80 infertile Iranian couples (n = 160) who visited infertility clinics. Participants completed a series of Persian versions of psychometric scales related to optimism (Attributional Style Questionnaire), humor (Humor Styles Questionnaire), marital satisfaction (Enrich Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire), positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). The obtained result of Smart PLS statistical analysis confirmed the significant positive correlation between optimism and humor with marital satisfaction and high PA and low NA. Moreover, the findings also provided an adequate fit of the model. The findings demonstrated that infertile couples high in optimism and humor have higher levels of marital satisfaction and high PA and low PA. Based on the study’s findings, interventions for facilitating optimism and humor among infertile couples are discussed.

중년부부의 성역할 태도 유사성이 남편과 아내의 부부관계 만족도와 부부갈등 수준에 미치는 영향

This study aimed to examine the effect of similarity in gender role attitudes on husbands" and wives" marital satisfaction and conflict among middle-aged couples. For the analyses, the Third National Survey of Korean Families was utilized and the sample was 1,053 couples aged 40 to 60. The dependent variables were husbands’ and wives’ perceived marital satisfaction and conflict, and the independent variable was similarity in gender role attitudes between husband and wife. Covariates were age, education level, employment status, marriage duration, and number of children. Latent Profile Analysis was applied to identify the patterns of gender role attitudes. Using the results, similarity in gender role attitudes was generated by dummy- coding the coincidence of the gender role attitude pattern between husband and wife. Then, Seemingly Unrelated Regression was applied to analyze the effect of similarity in gender role attitudes on husbands’ and wives’ marital satisfaction and conflict. The results indicated that husbands who had similar gender role attitudes to their wives reported lower levels of marital conflict. However, the effect of similarity in gender role attitudes on marital satisfaction was not significant for husbands. On the other hand, wives who had similar gender role attitudes to their husbands reported both higher levels of marital satisfaction and lower levels of marital conflict. This study may provide insights to discussions about ways to better promote and understand marital quality in later life. Moreover, its findings may be useful in the field of marriage and family therapy to develop educational programs seeking to improve marital quality in later life.

The effect of Self-differentiation Training Based on Bowen Theory on Women's Self-differentiation and Marital Satisfaction

Background & aim: Individuals with differentiation of self will have healthy relationships with others, manage their emotions, take care of their own identity, and they suppose, feel, and act for themselves. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the efficacy of self-differentiation training based on the Bowen’s theory on women’s self-differentiation and marital satisfaction. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out using a pretest-posttest design. The participants were randomly allocated into two intervention (n=12) and control (n=12) groups in Tehan from 15 September to 15 November 2018. Two questionnaires were used in this study, namely the Differentiation of Self Inventory and Marital Satisfaction Inventory, which were completed pre and post intervention. The intervention included ten sessions of self-differentiation training based on the Bowen’s theory. The control group received no training. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance by SPSS software (version 23). Results: Mean scores of age were reported as 30.58±3.61 and 29.92±3.18 years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Furthermore, both groups were homogeneous regarding the educational level. The obtained results showed that self-differentiation approach training could significantly increase self-differentiation (p <0.05) and marital satisfaction (p <0.05). Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, the participants who apply appropriate self-differentiation in their lives would have enhanced ability to manage their emotions, to solve their social problems and to have higher levels of marital satisfaction.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder: A Population-Based Study of Iranian Women

IntroductionTo date, few studies have investigated the prevalence of sexual pain in the context of the new diagnostic concept of genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD). AimTo evaluate the prevalence of GPPPD and its associated factors. MethodsThis was a population-based, cross-sectional study of 590 healthy married women age 18–70 years conducted between May and October 2017 in Tehran, Iran. Main Outcome MeasuresResearch tools included demographic characteristics checklist, factors affecting GPPPD, sexual distress and self-reporting of pain during intercourse, 2 standard questionnaires on depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9) and Binik’s guideline for the diagnosis of GPPPD. Results196 women (33%) reported pain or fear in answer to self-report questions. Administration of Binik’s guideline yielded a GPPPD prevalence of 16% (n = 94 women); however, this number decreased to 62 women (10.5%) when sexual distress was taken into account; thus, the final prevalence of GPPPD was considered to be 10.5%. However, if the threshold in Binik’s guideline was lowered to also include those reporting “somewhat” pain in addition to the group reporting “moderate” and “quite a bit or always,” then the prevalence of GPPPD increased to 25.8%. The results of backward logistic regression identified a strong aversion to looking at or touching the genitalia (odd ratio [OR] = 4.3), low sexual satisfaction (OR = 3.1), and severe depression (OR = 6.6) as independent risk factors for a diagnosis of GPPPD and secure financial status (OR = 0.3) and a high level of marital satisfaction (OR = 0.2) as protective factors against a diagnosis of GPPPD. Clinical ImplicationsReliable diagnosis of GPPPD is crucial. Application of validated tools may mitigate the overestimation of GPPPD prevalence. Simultaneously, clinicians’ judgment is essential in assessing a reasonable threshold and preventing underestimation that leads to the exclusion of women suffering from pain. Strengths & LimitationsThe present study is one of the few evaluating the prevalence of GPPPD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) definition and Binik’s guideline. The study also aims to point out some new perspectives on merging the 2 concepts of vaginismus and dyspareunia. Study limitations include the evaluation of factors affecting GPPPD based on self-reporting and possible recall bias. ConclusionFurther research is needed to determine the appropriate threshold for a diagnosis of GPPPD. We suggest that a woman with mild to moderate pain or fear of vaginal penetration is under sexual distress and cannot be neglected. In addition, problems may arise following the DSM-5 merging of the 2 disorders of vaginismus and dyspareunia, owing to the significant prevalence and distress of lifelong vaginismus in some cultures.Alizadeh A, Farnam F, Raisi F, et al. Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder: A Population-Based Study of Iranian Women.J Sex Med 2019;16:1068–1077.

The Impact of Cosmetic Surgery on Women's Marital Satisfaction and Self-Concept.

BACKGROUNDToday, cosmetic surgery is one of the most common procedures worldwide, and its use is increasing. This study aimed to identify the impact of cosmetic surgery on married women’s marital satisfaction and self-concept. METHODSFrom January 1st, 2015 to June 6th, 2015, 44 married women operated in a plastic surgery clinic or seeking for a cosmetic surgery and 55 non-applicants as general population were enrolled. ENRICH marital satisfaction questionnaire and Rogers’ Self-concept Inventory were used to compare groups. RESULTSOperated applicants revealed a significant higher level of satisfaction in comparison with other groups regarding personality, conflict and leisure. Compared to control group, the surgical group had significantly higher satisfaction in marital and familial relationship, friendship, and financial management.CONCLUSIONIt can be drawn that expectation for postoperative positive outcome probably is an important factor affecting high level of marital satisfaction in cosmetic surgery applicants. Furthermore, the self-concept is significant predictor of applying for cosmetic surgery.

Guilt among husband caregivers of Chinese women with breast cancer: The roles of male gender-role norm, caregiving burden and coping processes.

Caregiver guilt (i.e., feeling of inadequacy in providing care to patients) is commonly experienced and studied among husbands of breast cancer survivors in Western countries. However, little is known about the psychosocial correlates of caregiver guilt in their Chinese counterparts. A total of 176 husbands of Chinese breast cancer survivors completed a cross-sectional survey in Weifang, Shandong province, China. As expected, hierarchical regression results showed that higher caregiving burden was associated with higher levels of caregiver guilt. However, for those who had stronger endorsement of the "Masculinity strength" gender-role norm, higher seeking social support from spouse was associated with higher guilt; for those with higher levels of marital satisfaction, higher protective buffering (i.e., hiding of concerns and negative emotions to protect others) was associated with lower caregiver guilt. Western assumptions on the harm of protective buffering and the benefits of support seeking as well as related supportive evidence among Western populations do not directly apply to the Chinese culture, which should be brought awareness to research and practice. Practitioners should consider the cultural background of the caregivers and should not simply encourage support seeking and discourage protective buffering.

A Comparison of Marital Satisfaction of Mothers Raising a Child with Intellectual Disability versus a Child with Autism Disorder in Bahrain: Mixed Method Study

The purpose of the current mixed method study was to explore marital satisfaction of mothers raising children with Intellectual disability (I.D), or Autism disorder Children (A.D).The participants were thirty seven mothers, 21 of them had a child with autism disorder and 16 had a child with Intellectual disability. Twenty two of the mothers participated in the semi-structured interviews using the marital satisfaction questionnaire (MSQ) which is a self-report questionnaire prepared to assess marital satisfaction. The results reported 70% of the mothers had high level marital satisfaction. Results showed no significant difference in the level of marital satisfaction between mothers of children with (I.D) and mothers of children with (A.D). The regression analyses indicated that social support, significantly predicted mothers' marital satisfaction, while other variables (income, child birth order, gender of a child, age of a child, age of mother, age of husband, social support, marital years) were not found to be influential in predicting marital satisfaction. Qualita­tive thematic analysis showed that most of the mothers have a high level of marital satisfaction and received support from their husbands, their families and their mothers’ in-law, as well as support from professional specialists like pediatricians, psychologists, special education teachers and some friends.

Effective interactions: Communication and high levels of marital satisfaction

Of all the significant relationships in the lives of human-beings, the marital relationship remains one of the most central and important to their well-being. For this rapid review the authors accessed four online databases (PsycINFO, PsychARTICLES, JSTOR Journals, and ScienceDirect) to examine the evidence on aspects of communication which contribute to high levels of marital satisfaction and to synthesise these findings. The search yielded 103 unique articles, of which 15 were ultimately included. Principal results found the following activities to relate to high marital satisfaction: 1) communication activities such as engaging in small talk and providing verbal and non-verbal messages of affection; 2) “positive” exchanges which include any interactions perceived by both parties as constructive; 3) effective conflict management including the use of responses of recalibration and reaffirmation (R-R response), the use of we-pronouns, and the Listener-Speaker technique; 4) possessing and implementing effective communication skills such as using “I” instead of “you” messages; and 5) using “positive” communication skills such as clarification to elicit “positive” affect such as feeling understood. The evidence suggests that mental health professionals working with married couples should seek to promote quality dyadic communication as part of treatment interventions.

Correlation of Women’s Marital and Sexual Satisfaction in Different Family Life Cycle Stages in Khorram Abad, Iran

Objectives: According to previous researches marital satisfaction has various patterns during family life cycle; meanwhile, there are only few studies showing a correlation between sexual and marital satisfaction in different stages of family life cycle. Therefore, the current study was designed to assess long-term female marital and sexual satisfaction in intimate relationships Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 266 married women in different stages of their life family cycle recruited in the study through cluster random sampling technique. Outcomes measurement was carried out using three questionnaires: demographic, ENRICH marital satisfaction, and Larson sexual satisfaction. Results: In this study, 24.4% of the women reported a high level of marital satisfaction while about 21.8% of them mentioned high levels of sexual satisfaction. Positive and highly significant correlation was observed between sexual and marital satisfaction in the first three stages of family life cycle (beginning a family (r=0.5, P = 0.001), childbearing family (r=0.46, P = 0.004), and families with preschool children (r=0.24, P = 0.036). That is, both of the above-mentioned factors decreased slightly, however, such a correlation was not observed in the following stages (P > 0.05). In addition, it was found that, in the last 3 stages (i.e., teenage, empty nest, and retirement), despite a decrease in sexual satisfaction, marital satisfaction increased. Conclusions: In general, the findings revealed that the correlation between sexual satisfaction and marital satisfaction reduced across the stages of life cycle. It seems that through deepening the relationship between the couples, other factors that are more important than sexual satisfaction would contribute to marital satisfaction as well.

Commitment and Relationship Maintenance Behaviors as Marital Protective Factors during Economic Pressure

Using a contemporary national sample of married couples (N = 1368 couples) and a dyadic path analysis, the authors examined whether commitment and relationship maintenance behaviors facilitate marital quality resilience for wives and husbands reporting recession-related financial stressors and economic pressure. Relationship maintenance behaviors moderated the association between economic pressure and marital quality for wives. Wives reported higher levels of marital satisfaction and lower levels of divorce proneness during economic pressure when husbands reported higher levels of relationship maintenance behaviors. Unexpectedly, wives reported higher levels of divorce proneness during economic pressure when husbands reported higher levels of marital commitment.

The Marital Satisfaction of Differently Aged Couples.

We investigate how the marital age gap affects the evolution of marital satisfaction over the duration of marriage using household panel data from Australia. We find that men tend to be more satisfied with younger wives and less satisfied with older wives. Interestingly, women likewise tend to be more satisfied with younger husbands and less satisfied with older husbands. Marital satisfaction declines with marital duration for both men and women in differently-aged couples relative to those in similarly-aged couples. These relative declines erase the initial higher levels of marital satisfaction experienced by men married to younger wives and women married to younger husbands within 6 to 10 years of marriage. A possible mechanism is that differently-aged couples are less resilient to negative shocks compared to similarly-aged couples, which we find some supportive evidence for.