Marriage and Relationships - The Downside of Living Together

The Downside of Living Together More and more couples today live together or play house before taking the matrimonial plunge. Living together before marriage has become so popular that approximately half the couples in America participate in this activity (Gorrell 16). Some couples choose to live together to test their compatibility and possibly avoid an unsuccessful marriage. With the number of marriages ending in divorce these days, it sounds reasonable that many couples want to give marriage a trial run before making any formal commitment. But do the chances of a successful marriage actually improve by cohabiting? Cohabitation isnt marriage, says sociology professor Linda Waite of the University of†¦show more content†¦Jabusch 15). Many singles believe that by practicing marriage they will receive the commitment they desire. With this in mind, they move in together intending to tie the knot eventually. Time passes and the couple rarely talks seriously about finalizing the commitment. And so, they often end up cohabiting for a few years until eventually someone gets tired of waiting and leaves. Cohabitation can suppress the development of a higher level of commitment. Sometimes, one or both of the people involved become complacent in the relationship, and without any pressure to move forward, they wont. As social psychologist Dr. Julia Hare puts it, Why would you go to the store to buy some milk with the cow standing in the living room? (qtd. Why...Marriage? 53). Certainly, to call a marriage successful, it must actually take place. A study conducted by an assistant professor of human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University, Catherine Cohan, Ph.D., found that those who had lived together before marriage displayed more negative and fewer positive problem solving and support behaviors than couples that had not cohabitated prior to marriage (Gorrell 16). For example, if one partner of a cohabiting couple diagnosed a particular topic as a problem, the other would express more negative behaviors such as forcefulness and attempts to control.Show MoreRelatedCohabitation Is Defined As A Man And Woman Living1713 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Cohabitation is defined as a man and woman living in the same household and having sexual relations while not being married. There is relatively little data on health outcomes for people who have cohabitated, although there is some evidence that cohabitating couples have lower incomes (15% of cohabitating men are jobless while 8% of married men are jobless) and there may be negative academic effects for children of cohabitating mothers (Jay, 2012). 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