Living Arrangements and Family Formation Attitudes in Early Adulthood

This article examines the impact of nonfamily living arrangements and cohabitation on changes in family formation attitudes at the individual level [in the United States]. The theoretical framework focuses on the role of learning processes and cognitive consistency. This framework also draws similarities and differences between the likely impact of cohabitation and that of other living arrangements. Empirical analyses demonstrate that both the experience and duration of cohabiting arrangements have significant effects on family formation attitudes but fail to show significant consequences of premarital nonfamily living arrangements. (EXCERPT)