Being Together
Who Divorces Whom: Unilateral Divorce Legislation and the Educational Structure of Marriage
Geghetsik Afunts & Stepan Jurajda
Demography, forthcoming
Abstract:
The introduction of unilateral divorce legislation (UDL) starting in the late 1960s led to spikes in U.S. divorce rates. We ask whether making divorce easier affected the educational structure of marriage. Using marriage and divorce certificate data covering 1970-1988, we provide new evidence on the evolution of the educational structure of marriage inflows (newlyweds) and outflows (divorces). Next, we leverage the timing of UDL introduction across states to estimate its effects on both flows. We find that UDL affected the educational structure of divorce but not of new marriages: it made generally unstable hypogamous couples (women married to less educated partners) less likely to divorce and made homogamous couples more stable than hypergamous ones (women married to more educated partners).
Job insecurity as a predictor of gray divorce: A gendered dyadic analysis
Rachel Donnelly
Social Forces, forthcoming
Abstract:
Divorce among older adults -- known as gray divorce -- is increasingly common; however, we have a relative gap in knowledge about predictors of gray divorce. Job insecurity, a pervasive and disruptive work-related exposure, may be a salient predictor of divorce among older couples for whom job loss can be particularly detrimental. Using longitudinal dyadic data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2020), the present study examined whether labor force status and job insecurity were prospectively associated with the risk of divorce in mid to later life, with attention to differences based on gender (n = 10,446 couples). Discrete-time event history models linked husbands' and wives' labor force status and job insecurity with subsequent odds of divorce in mid to later life. Findings show that husbands' part-time employment, unemployment, and disability status were risk factors for divorce. Wives' work disability also increased the risk of divorce, whereas wives' retirement and exclusion from the labor force were protective against divorce. Husbands' exposure to objective job insecurity (shorter job tenure) and perceived job insecurity were associated with divorce in mid to later life, whereas the adverse consequence of wives' exposure to shorter job tenure reduced to non-significance with the inclusion of covariates. The present study documents previously untested predictors of gray divorce, finding that work-related factors may be an area of vulnerability for marriages in later life. Understanding the linkages between job insecurity and divorce is important because job insecurity is pervasive and divorce can contribute to declines in health and well-being.
Risk for Experiencing Psychological and Sexual Abuse On- and Offline: A Comparison of Bisexual, Gay/Lesbian, and Heterosexual Women and Men
Sara Chadwick, Jacqueline Woerner & Eric Schrimshaw
American Journal of Epidemiology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Dating abuse research on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations tends to aggregate LGB participants for comparisons with heterosexuals and often excludes non-assaultive dating abuse and abuse that takes place on online dating applications. In the present study, we used the Pew Research Center's 2019 American Trends Panel Wave 56 dataset (N = 4712) to compare ever experiencing several types of non-assaultive on- and offline dating abuse between bisexual women (n = 402), lesbian women (n = 207), heterosexual women (n = 1802), bisexual men (n = 225), gay men (n = 575), and heterosexual men (n = 1501). We found that gay men and bisexual women generally had the greatest odds of experiencing online dating abuse. Bisexual and heterosexual women had the greatest odds of experiencing some offline abuse (e.g., being touched in an uncomfortable way), but gay men and bisexual women and men had the greatest odds of experiencing other offline abuse (e.g., having their contact information or a sexual image of them shared non-consensually). Findings highlight how assessments of non-assaultive dating abuse in on- and offline contexts via analyses of more specified gender/sex/ual identity groups can broaden understandings of dating abuse victimization, especially among sexual minority populations.
The Affective and Relational Correlates of Algorithmic Beliefs Among U.S. Online Daters: Extension of Two Previous Studies
Junwen Hu
Computers in Human Behavior, November 2024
Abstract:
Previous studies have forwarded a self-fulfilling prophecy explanation for how algorithmic beliefs may shape affective and relational outcomes of online dating (Hu and Rui, 2023; Sharabi, 2021). The current work examined this self-fulfilling prophecy explanation by investigating relevant online dating correlates of algorithmic beliefs. Secondary analyses were conducted on data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (N = 6034) with model comparison procedures. Collectively, results showed that, among currently single relationship-seeking online daters, algorithmic beliefs were negatively related to online dating disappointment; However, findings for online dating excitement were mixed. Additionally, among past online daters, algorithmic beliefs were positively related to being in a relationship with someone they met in online dating. Consistencies and differences between the current findings and previous findings were discussed to offer theoretical and practical implications.
Gender Difference in Overconfidence and Household Financial Literacy
Edward Lawrence, Thanh Nguyen & Benedikt Wick
Journal of Banking & Finance, September 2024
Abstract:
We study overconfidence related to financial knowledge among men and women within U.S. households, venturing beyond prior research confined to subsamples such as CEOs, retail investors, and older adults. By expanding our study to the broader U.S. population, we provide evidence that women, on average, exhibit greater overconfidence than men - a discrepancy attributable to the gender difference in financial knowledge. We find a positive association between overconfidence and both investment risk-taking and savings behavior, while it correlates inversely with prudent credit card management. Our findings emphasize the instrumental role of financial literacy in mitigating overconfidence, providing a deeper understanding of the interaction between gender, overconfidence, and financial literacy. Our results carry profound implications for policy interventions and educational strategies.