In a Longitudinal Study of Family Transitions, Elizabeth Menaghan (1983)

Multiple Choice

In a longitudinal study of family transitions, Elizabeth Menaghan (1983) compared the changes in marital satisfaction in couples who experienced transitions (e.g., first child entering school) to changes in marital satisfaction in couples who were not experiencing those transitions. What did she find, and what was her explanation for the finding?

A) The couples who experienced more transitions had a greater decline in marital satisfaction because the transitions were quite stressful.
B) The couples who did not experience transitions had a greater decline in marital satisfaction because they did not experience the joys of having children.
C) The couples who experienced more transitions had a greater decline in marital satisfaction only if they subjectively rated the transitions as stressful experiences.
D) The couples in both groups had equal declines in satisfaction because the couples experiencing the transitions viewed them as controllable and had time to prepare for them.