Thesis
Family structure and adult well-being: the effects of duration, timing, transitions, and recentness
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2004
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/194
Abstract
Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households, this study looks at the effects of multiple dimensions of family structure during adulthood on adults’ well-being. Specifically, it looks at the effects of the duration of time spent in family structures, the number of family structure transitions experienced, the timing of transitions, and the recentness of the last transition experienced on three measures of well-being: cognitive well-being, global relative health, and psychological well-being. The paper also explores how family process variables mediate and/or moderate the effects of the family structure variables on well-being. I hypothesize that family structure affects well-being to the extent that a given structure introduces stress into individuals’ lives as well as, through the support built into it, impedes or facilitates the ability of the individual to cope with stress. Findings indicate that the family structure variables have very small effects on well-being while the family process variables have larger and more significant effects. However, among the family structure variables the findings indicate that longer durations of time spent married increase men’s well-being, a benefit that is not experienced by women.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Family structure and adult well-being
- Creators
- Jolene D. Smyth
- Contributors
- Scott M. Myers (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Sociology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99900525035801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis