Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of Initial Sample and Final Sample of Couples at Time 1.
Initial sample | Final sample | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Characteristic | Middle-aged (n = 82) |
Older (n = 74) |
Middle-aged (n = 63) |
Older (n = 64) |
Mean age, husbands (SD) | 44.9 (2.9) | 64.3 (3.1) | 44.6 (2.8) | 64.0 (3.0) |
Mean age, wives (SD) | 43.8 (2.9) | 62.8 (3.3) | 43.7 (2.9) | 62.5 (3.0) |
Mean marital duration (SD) | 21.3 (3.5) | 40.5 (3.7) | 21.1 (3.5) | 40.2 (3.4) |
Mean number of children (SD) | 2.2 (1.0) | 3.2 (1.4) | 2.1 (1.0) | 3.3 (1.4) |
Percentage with children at home |
78.0 | 14.9 | 77.8 | 14. % |
Percentage of husbands working full or part time |
98.8 | 91.9 | 98.4 | 93.8 |
Percentage of wives working full or part time |
85.4 | 66.2 | 85.7 | 64.1 |
Percentage European American | 80.5 | 91.9 | 80.2 | 95.2 |
Mean Time 1 marital satisfaction (SD) |
108.7 (16.0) | 114.1 (16.0) | 110.4 (15.7) | 114.3 (16.3) |
Note: Marital satisfaction was calculated by averaging scores on two well-established self-report
measures: (a) the Marital Adjustment Test (Locke & Wallace, 1959) and (b) the Marital Relationship Inventory (Burgess, Locke, & Thomes, 1971). For the final study sample, there were no differences between middle-aged and older couples with regard to martial satisfaction.