5 - (SYM 62) Thinking About Moving in Together? How Reasons for Cohabitation Are Associated with Relationship Quality over Time

Living together, or cohabiting, before marriage is a normative stage in romantic relationships. Many endorse cohabiting pre-maritally to improve their chances of a successful marriage. Despite this intention, cohabitation is often associated with lower relationship quality (e.g., lower satisfaction, higher negative communication) both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, commonly known as the cohabitation effect. One factor that may influence relationship outcomes following cohabitation is why couples move in together. Thus, we examined how reasons for cohabiting were associated with relationship functioning over time.

In a 5-year longitudinal study with 11 waves of data, participants (N=240) who were in non-cohabiting relationships and moved in with their partner reported on their relationship functioning (relationship satisfaction, dedication, and negative communication) at each study wave. They also reported their reasons for moving in (to spend time together, convenience, and relationship testing) at the time of cohabitation. Interrupted-time series analyses were conducted to examine relationship functioning as a function of time and cohabitation status, as moderated by reasons for cohabitation.

Participants who endorsed spending time together as a reason to a greater extent reported higher relationship functioning prior to cohabitation, and their relationship functioning remained higher following cohabitation, compared to those who endorsed lower on time together. Those who endorsed testing relationship as a reason to a greater extent reported unfavorable trajectories of relationship functioning leading up to cohabitation, and their relationship functioning remains lower compared to those who endorsed testing to a lesser extent. Convenience as a reason did not clearly predict relationship functioning over time.

Greater endorsement of moving in with one’s partner to spend more time together was associated with better relationship functioning, whereas greater endorsement of moving in together to test the relationship was associated with worse relationship functioning. Across all three reasons, relationship functioning remained similar from before to after moving in together. Reasons for cohabitation may reflect pre-existing attitudes that people have about their partner or relationship, rather than affect trajectories. Encouraging partners to engage in conversations about why they want to move together might make for better decision making, timing, or improved relationship functioning.