MARITAL RECONCILIATION IN THE UNITED-STATES - WHICH COUPLES ARE SUCCESSFUL

Using 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Household data, this stu dy examines the prevalence of successful reconciliations among 506 whi te women in the United States. Approximately one-third of the women at tempting a reconciliation are still married more than 1 year after the reconciliation began. The probability of having a successful reconcil iation varies among subgroups of women. Religion has the strongest rel ationship with the success of a reconciliation, followed by premarital cohabitation, and age homogamy of the spouses. Other variables relate d to marital dissolution are not significantly associated with whether or not a reconciliation is successful: education, parity, age at sepa ration, and duration between marriage and separation.