Pathways to Adulthood and Marriage: Teenagers' Attitudes, Expectations, and Relationship Patterns

This report examines potential precursors of the changes in adult marriage patterns in recent decades. It draws on data from four large national surveys to examine the experiences and attitudes of teenagers to gain a better understanding of factors that influence their views of marriage and their relationship choices in adulthood. The report analyzes teenagers' initial exposure to, and experiences with, romantic relationships and marriage, as well as their general attitudes toward marriage. It also examines marriage and relationship patterns among a recent cohort of young adults and identifies factors in adolescence associated with the likelihood of choosing various relationship pathways in early adulthood. [82 PDF Pages]