Values and marital adjustment: a test of homogamy theory

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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and
Retrospective Theses and Dissertations
Dissertations
1973
Values and marital adjustment: a test of homogamy
theory
Charles Lee Cole
Iowa State University
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Recommended Citation
Cole, Charles Lee, "Values and marital adjustment: a test of homogamy theory " (1973).Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 5074.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/5074
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COLE, Charles Lee, 1944-
VALUES AND MARITAL ADJUSTMENT: A TEST OF
HM)GAMY THEORY.
Iowa State University, Ph.D., 1973
Sociology, family
University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan
0 1974
CHARLES LEE COLE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
THS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFIIMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED.
Values and iparlfal adjustment:
A test of homogaoy theory
by
Charles Lee Cole
A Dissertation Submitted to the
Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of
Tlie Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Department; Sociology and Anthropology
Major: Sociology
Approved:
Signature was redacted for privacy.
In Charged of Major Work
Signature was redacted for privacy.
Signature was redacted for privacy.
For the Gradu e College
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
1973
Copyright @ Charles Lee Cole, 1973. All rights reserved.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 5
The Importance of Theoretically Framed Research 5
Borrowed Theory 9
Socialization 10
Cognitive consistency theory 11
A Brief Assessment of the Homogamy Theory 14
Developing the General Level Hypothesis 20
Conceptualizing the Variables 22
Marital adjustment 22
Burgess' criteria 23
Locke's components 23
A dissenting viewpoint 24
The need for a collective indicant 26
Homogamy 30
Values 35
Subconcepts 43
Specific hypotheses 44
Religious similarity 47
Educational similarity 48
Age similarity 49
Family background similarity 50
Value similarity 51
iii
Summary of specific hypotheses 53
Summary 54
CHAPTER III: METHODS AND PROCEDURES 55
Empirical Setting for the Study 55
The Population and Sample 36
The population 56
Sampling design 56
Characteristics of the sample 58
Family life cycle 58
Courtship history 63
Social class 66
Community background 70
Ragion of the country reared in 71
Length of time in Ames 71
Length of time in neighborhood 71
Religious orientations 71
Summary of characteristics of the sample 78
Data Collection and Field Procedures 78
Development and pretest of the research instrument 78
The interviewing process 79
Data-processing procedures 80
Summary of data collection and field procedures 82
Operationalization and Measurement 82
The dependent variable: Marital adjustment 82
The independent variables 86
The values scale 86
iv
Value similarity 93
Religious similarity 93
Spouses of the same religion before marriage 95
Spouses of the same religion at the time of
the study 96
Spouses' similarity of church attendance 96
Similarity of spouses' religious preference
orthodoxy rank 97
Age similarity of spouses 97
Similarity of spouses' parents' marital happiness 97
Educational similarity of spouses 98
Summary of operationalization and measurement 98
Analysis Techniques 99
Summary of Methods and Procedures 100
CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS 101
The General Level Hypothesis 101
Tests of Empirical Hypotheses 102
Religious similarity and marital adjustment 102
Spouses of the same religion before marriage 102
Spouses of the same religion now 103
Degree of difference in spouses' church attendance 104
Degree of difference in spouses' religious prefer­
ence orthodoxy rank 105
Educational similarity and marital adjustment 106
Degree of difference in levels of spouses'
educational attainment 106
Age similarity and marital adjustment 107
V
Degree of difference in spouses' age 107
Similarity of spouses' parents' marital happiness 108
Degree of difference in spouses' parents' marital
happiness 108
Value similarity and marital adjustment 109
Degree of absolute differences in spouses'v alues 109
Multiple Regression Model Building 110
Stepwise regression for husbands* marital adjustment 112
Stepwise regression for wives' marital adjustment 114
Stepwise regression for couples' marital adjustment 115
Summary of stepwise regression results for similarity
variables 117
Reexamining the Value Similarity Variable 119
Summary of the value similarity reexamination 120
Additional Variables for Analysis 129
Values 129
Attitudes toward sexual fidelity 132
Commitment to the marriage 132
Other variables 134
Summary of additional variables analyzed 134
Summary 135
CHAPTER V: ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 136
Effects of llomogamy on Marital Adjustment 136
Serendipity and Hypotheses Generating 140
Husbands' values 140
Wives' values 144
vi
Husbands' attitudes toward extramarital sex 147
Husbands' commitment to the marriage 147
Wives' commitment to the marriage 148
Spouses* marital adjustment 148
Discussion of hypotheses generated from the data 148
Stepwise regression for husbands' marital adjustment
with interaction variables 149
Stepwise regression for wives' marital adjustment
with interaction variables 153
Stepwise regression for couples' marital adjustment
with interaction variables 153
Comments of comparison 158
Limitations and Conclusions 160
Conceptual limitations 160
Methodological limitations 161
Research design limitations 161
Measurement limitations 161
Conclusions 163
Suggestions for Further Research 163
aiAPTER VI: SUMMARY 166
REFERENCES 168
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 185
APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE WITH SCORING CODES 186
APPENDIX B: INSTRUCTIONS AND ORIGINAL ITEMS OF FAMILY VALUES
SCALE PRESENTED TO JUDGES 196
APPENDIX C: INTER-ITEM CORRELATIONS FOR MARITAL ADJUSTMENT
SCALE, VALUES SCALE, MARITAL COMMITMENT SCALE, AND
SEXUAL FIDELITY SCALE 202
vil
APPENDIX D: INTER-VARIABLE CORRELATION MATRIX AND SIGNIFICANT
SOCIAL CORRELATES OF MARITAL ADJUSTMENT NOTR EPORTED IN
PREVIOUS SECTIONS 211
APPENDIX E: FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR MARITAL ADJUSTMENT SCORES
OF HUSBANDS, WIVES, AND COUPLES 215
APPENDIX F: A METHODOLOGICAL NOTE ON COMPUTING THE COMPOSITE
MARITAL ADJUSTMENT SCORE FOR COUPLES 220