Research Briefs

Research Brief I: Preliminary Findings for Adult Participants in Marriage and Relationship Education in ACHMI

ACHMI and its partners provide relationship/marriage education to Alabamians in order to promote the use of knowledge and key skills that have been identified in research as vital components of a stable, quality marital relationship. Among adult participants in this demonstration project, we expected to find positive changes in several areas of individual functioning, parenting, and couple functioning after participation in the programs. Because the study will be completed in 2011, these are considered preliminary analyses.

 

Research Brief II: Preliminary Findings for Youth Participants in the Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative

The positive changes among youth participants in areas of individual and relationship knowledge and functioning as well as dating/marriage attitudes are outlined.

 

Healthy Couples, Healthy Children - Targeting Youth 2008 Results

Our current 5-year evaluation project, funded by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, involves testing the effectiveness of the Relationship Smarts Plus curriculum (RS+; Pearson, 2007) in “test” and “control” classrooms each year . The goals of this applied research study are to examine the effectiveness of a youth-focused relationships education curriculum, and to use the knowledge gained from this research to build an exemplary model of relationships education for teens.

 

The Effects of RME Participation on Coparenting Quality and Children's Social Skills - Preliminary Evidence

Authors: Cassandra Kirkland, M.S., Francesca Adler-Baeder, Ph.D., Angela Bradford, M.S., LMFT, Mallory-Lucier-Greer, M.S., Scott Ketring, Ph.D., Tom Smith, Ph.D. Preliminary findings provide rationale for programmatic work that promotes healthy couple relationships for the purpose of promoting positive child outcomes.

 

Marriage and Relationship Education: Do Facilitator Characteristics Matter?

Authors: Angela Bradford, Scott Ketring, Francesca Adler‐Baeder, Thomas Smith, Mallory Lucier‐Greer, Cassandra Kirkland, Eugenia Parrett Gwynn. Facilitator poster presented at the National Council on Family Relations Conference, 2009. This study extends the findings of the previous study by examining an in‐depth model for predicting MRE program outcomes based on facilitator abilities and facilitator/participant demographic similarity.

 

The Effects of Parent Participation in Relationship/Marriage Education on Coparenting and Children’s Social Skills: Examining Rural Minorities’ Experiences

Authors: Cassandra Kirkland, Francesca Adler-Baeder, Angela Bradford, Scott Ketring, Thomas Smith, Mallory Lucier-Greer. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether parental participation in marriage and relationship education (RME) benefits preschool children’s social competence and their parents’ coparenting quality.

 

The Future of Children, Marriage and Child Well-Being.

Author: Sara McLanahan, Ron Haskins and Elisabeth Donahue, eds. Brookings Institution Press and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Date: Fall 2005. This volume looks at the history of marriage in America, the changes in family formation and the effect of these changes on economic and social outcomes for children, and the effect of marriage policy on specific subgroups such as low-income, minority, and homosexual families. The volume also provides a review of programs that have tried to increase and stabilize marriage as well as the impact of tax and transfer policies on marriage.

With This Ring...A National Survey on Marriage in America.

National Fatherhood Initiative, Date: November 17, 2005.

 

Why Marriage Matters, Second Edition: Twenty-Six Conclusions from the Social Sciences.

Institute for American Values, Date: October 24, 2005. This report is an attempt to summarize the large body of scientific research on what is known about the importance of marriage in the family and social system.

 

Building Strong Families: Early Implementation Experiences and Implications for Evaluation.

Authors: M. Robin Dion For the Building Strong Families Team; Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Date: June 2005.

 

Systematic Review of the Impact of Marriage and Relationship Programs. HTML | PDF

Jane Reardon-Anderson, Matthew Stagner, Jennifer Ehrle Macomber, Julie Murray. Urban Institute and Administration of Children and Families.. Date: February 2005. The review examines 39 studies representing the highest quality evidence available in the field of marriage research and confirms that marriage programs lead to positive effects for couples. The results indicate that programs focusing on improving communication skills and relationship satisfaction produce statistically significant improvements in both of these areas.

 

Service Delivery and Evaluation Design Options for Strengthening and Promoting Healthy Marriages: Investigation of Programs to Strengthen and Support Healthy Marriages. HTML | PDF

Jennifer Ehrle Macomber, Julie Murray, Matthew Stagner. Urban Institute and Administration of Children and Families. Date: February 2005. The review is based on 58 telephone discussions with current and potential program providers and visited five geographic areas with multiple programs and examines the service delivery setting, specifically the types of services provided, target groups served, the size of the program, funding mechanisms, and collaborating organizations.

 

What We Know About Unmarried Parents: Implications for Building Strong Families Programs.

Authors: Marcia Carlson, Sara McLanahan, Paula England, and Barbara Devaney. Mathematica Policy Research Inc. Date: January 2005. This brief, the third in a series from the Building Strong Families (BSF) project, draws on Mathematica's survey for the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study on the characteristics and relationship patterns of unwed parents. The findings can help state and local agencies and other groups designing BSF programs gain a better understanding of their target population and develop interventions that respond to their needs and circumstances.

 

What is "Healthy Marriage?" Defining the Concept.

Author: Kristin Moore, Susan Jekielek, Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew, Lina Guzman, Suzanne Ryan, Zakia Redd. Child Trends. Date: 2004. This research brief examines the concept and the elements that help define a healthy marriage and the factors that are antecedents and consequences of healthy marriages.

 

Do Good Partners Make Good Parents? Relationship Quality and Parenting in Married and Unmarried Families.

Author: Marcia Carlson and Sara McLanahan. Date: December 2004, Number 29. This brief uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the effects of relationship quality on parenting. The study collects data from both mothers and fathers and includes multiple measures of relationship quality and parenting.

 

Are Married Parents Really Better for Children? What Research Says About the Effects of Family Structure on Child Well-Being.

Author: Mary Parke, Policy Analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy. Date: May 2003. The third in a series on Couples and Marriage Research and Policy, this brief summarizes the research on the effects of family structure on child well-being, discusses some of the complexities of the research, and identifies issues that remain to be explored. The series focuses on the effects on child well-being, with a special interest in couple relationships and marriage in low-income communities.

 

Marriage from a Child’s Perspective: How Does Family Structure Affect Children, and What Can We Do about It?

Author: Kristin Anderson Moore, Susan Jekielek and Carol Emig; Date: June 2002. This Child Trends brief reviews the research evidence on the effects of family structure on children, as well as key trends in family structure over the last few decades. An extensive body of research indicates that children do best when they grow up with both biological parents in a low-conflict marriage. At the same time, research on how to promote strong, low-conflict marriages is thin at best. This brief also discusses promising strategies for reducing births outside of marriage and promoting strong, stable marriages.