Latent Constructs of Parents’ Marriage Attitudes: Associations with Children's Socio-Emotional Development

This study examined how parents’ attitudes toward marriage clustered into latent constructs and how these constructs were associated with children's socio-emotional development. Using nationally representative data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we conducted exploratory factor analyses separately for mothers and fathers to identify latent constructs of marriage attitudes, then estimated multiple linear regressions predicting children's outcomes at age nine. Child socio-emotional development was assessed using the Adaptive Social Behavior Inventory and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Three constructs emerged for both parents: Traditional Ideas, Negative Perceptions, and Marriage Requirements. Mothers’ Negative Perceptions were associated with lower prosocial behavior and higher internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and fathers’ Negative Perceptions were associated with lower prosocial behavior. Endorsing traditional or idealized views of marriage was not associated with improved child outcomes. These findings suggest that parents’ negative evaluations of marriage relate to less favorable socio-emotional indicators in children and point to the value of future work that tests proximal family processes and mechanisms.