Correlates of Attitudes Toward Cohabitation: Looking at the Associations With Demographics, Relational Attitudes, and Dating Behavior

The present study examines how demographics, attitudes toward marriage, attitudes toward sexual activity, sexual behaviors, and dating experience are associated with three different attitudes toward cohabitation among never-married young adults. Results from a sample of 1,036 young adult college students suggest that the endorsement of cohabitation is strongly associated with permissive attitudes toward sex. Young adults who held positive attitudes toward marriage were also found to be unlikely to endorse cohabitation where the couple did not have marital plans. Results suggest that different background and individual factors predict whether young adults believe cohabitation is beneficial and if they endorse cohabitation based on the marital plans of the partners. Findings provide further evidence for how cohabitation fits within the larger union formation goals of young adults.