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• Oklahomans marry an average of 2.5 years younger than the national median age at first marriage.
Marital Quality:
• Despite higher divorce rates, married Oklahomans are more likely to say they are very happily married than couples nationally. o Among married persons, those who were most satisfied and least likely to have thought or talked about divorce reported: Less frequent negative communication and conflicts Higher levels of commitment to their partners More frequent talking as friends and more frequent going out on dates o Negative interaction was, by far, the most potent discriminator of who was satisfied or not in marriage. • Those who reported being more religious—and especially those who were most frequent in attending religious services—reported higher average levels of marital satisfaction, less frequent conflicts, and a lower likelihood of having thought about divorce. • Women and men were not found to differ in their ratings of marital satisfaction, commitment, or in feelings of being trapped in their marriages. • Thirty-four percent (34%) of the married respondents considered their marriage to be in serious trouble at some point. Of these people, 92% said that they were glad they were still together.
Nonmarital or Premarital Cohabitation:
• Cohabitation outside of marriage is accepted by many Oklahomans: o Thirty-eight percent (38%) believe it is acceptable for a man and woman who are not married to live together, with men (44%) more likely than women (33%) to approve. o While the majority of Oklahomans (54%) reject the notion that living together outside of marriage has all the advantages of marriage without the legal details, 36% believe nonmarital cohabitation has all the benefits of marriage. o Fifty-nine percent (59%) of those who are cohabiting outside of marriage believe that their parents approve of their living together, and only 14% believe that their parents disapprove. • Those who lived with their spouses before marriage reported, on average, lower levels of satisfaction, lower levels of commitment, higher levels of negative interaction, and a greater average tendency to think about divorcing, compared to those who did not live together prior to marriage.
Attitudes About Marriage and Divorce:
• Ninety-three percent (93%) of Oklahomans view divorce as a very serious or somewhat serious national problem. • Younger persons express less confidence in the institution of marriage than older persons. They are less positive about marriage and its benefits over cohabitation, are more accepting of divorce, and are less likely than older persons to think that couples who have children together ought to be married.
Fathers, Mothers, and Children of Divorce:
• Seventy-eight percent (78%) of ever-divorced Oklahomans have a child from a previous marriage that ended in divorce. • Most divorced nonresident parents feel close to their children, but they also tend to be dissatisfied with these relationships. o Only 35% of nonresident parents are “very satisfied” with their relationships with their children, 26% are “somewhat satisfied,” and 39% are “not satisfied.”
Low-Income Oklahomans:
• Low-income persons (defined here as recipients of government assistance) hold different views about marriage, divorce, and cohabitation than non-low-income persons.