The Influence of Perceived Marital Benefits and Expectations on Marital Outcomes by Race

Research examining marital outcomes for unmarried parents is limited. This present work assessed the influence of marital perceptions and expectations on subsequent marriage formation among unmarried mothers. This study has 3 main questions: 1) Do racial differences in marital expectations exist among unmarried mothers? 2) Do racial differences in the perceived benefits of marriage exist among unmarried mothers? 3) To the extent that racial differences in expectation and perceived benefits of marriage exist can they help explain subsequent marital behavior? Respondents who expected to marry were significantly more likely to actually establish a marital union with their baby’s father than those with lower expectations. Those who perceived that marriage would be highly beneficial were less likely to actually marry. While somewhat surprising, this finding was consistent with the high marriage bar perspective. I found that marital expectations and perceptions together were useful for helping to explain racial differences in marriage formation