Intergenerational Effect on Marital Quality

Jianjun Ji, University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire

Studies on marital quality have received great attention in recent decades. Research on intergenerational effect of maternal influence on adult children's marital quality, however, is rare. Guided by the theoretical perspectives of socialization and intergenerational transmission, this study investigates the intergenerational effect of maternal influence on marriage and adult children's marital quality in contemporary American society. Using a longitudinal survey data set, this study tests the hypothesis that there is a causal relationship between maternal influence and adult children's marital quality. Four models are developed. These models explore the relationship between maternal influence and adult children's marital quality (Model One); the relationship between adult children's marital attitudes, behaviors, and their marital quality (Model Two); the relationship between maternal influence and adult children's marital quality mediated by children's marital attitudes and behaviors (Model Three); and the relationship between maternal influence and adult children's marital quality net of the effects of adult children's marital attitudes and behaviors (Model Four). Through structural equation modeling (SEM) and ordinary least square (OLS) regression analyses, the results show that mothers' attitudes toward marriage and mother-child relationship significantly impact adult children's marital quality after controlling for the effects of children's attitudes toward marriage, gender role beliefs, division of domestic labor, marital power, and premarital cohabitation. In particular, the analysis demonstrates enduring effects of mothers' attitudes toward marriage and mother-child relationship on adult children's marital quality, partially through the intervening mechanisms of children's attitudes, gender role beliefs, and division of domestic labor. The parameter estimates indicate that the effects of mothers' influence on adult children's marital quality are causal. The decomposition of SEM parameters estimates shows that the direct effects are primary and indirect effects are secondary. These findings support the hypothesis that mothers' attitudes and behaviors influence adult children's marital quality. This study contributes to family literature by shedding new light on the theoretical perspective that there is an intergenerational effect of marital values and behaviors across generations. In particular, it contributes to family literature by identifying three intermediate mechanisms between maternal influence and children's marital quality.