Spencer James | Brigham Young University (original) (raw)

Papers by Spencer James

In this essay, we explore the links between religion and relationship quality for cohabiting and ... more In this essay, we explore the links between religion and relationship quality for cohabiting and married couples. Our evidence from an 11-country sample suggests men and women in highly religious couples enjoy significantly higher levels of relationship quality and sexual satisfaction. Joint decision-making, however, is higher among men in shared secular relationships and women in highly religious relationships, compared to their peers in less/mixed religious couples. We also find a J-Curve in overall relationship quality for women such that women in shared secular, progressive relationships enjoy comparatively high levels of relationship quality, women in the ideological and religious middle report lower levels of relationship quality, and women in highly religious relationships, especially traditionalists, report the highest levels of relationship quality. Our results suggest that the association between gender ideology and relationship quality varies by religiosity. Across much of the developed world, marriage has been in retreat in recent decades. More adults are living on their own; others are choosing to cohabit, sometimes as a prelude to marriage, and sometimes as an alternative. 1 "We are witnessing a shift to a new social model," suggests the demographer Joel Kotkin, where "increasingly, family no longer serves as the central organizing feature of society." 2 A growing share of adults are unpartnered in much of East Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania-from Japan to the United States, from the United Kingdom to Chile. In part, this has more to do with people marrying later rather than avoiding marriage altogether. It is important to note that most people, in the vast majority of countries across the world, still get married at some point in their lives. By age 40, almost eight out of 10 women in the United States, for example, have been married. 3 And while many men and women who marry will also divorce, the divorce rate has also stabilized, or even in some cases declined, in recent years in a number of countries around the world. The bottom line, then, is that even though marriage is in retreat, it still grounds and guides the lives of adult men and women across the globe. Marriage: Who Cares? Why worry about marriage at all? If adults are choosing different paths through life that suit their own desires and preferences, then perhaps marriage can be seen as just one choice among many. Some do it, some don't. Some stick at it, others move on. There are, nonetheless, three good reasons to pay attention to trends in marriage rates, solo living, and cohabitation. First, shifting family patterns can have profound economic consequences, fueling poverty, insecurity, and inequality. Single adults and especially single parents are at a much higher risk of poverty since they have similar costs to a married or cohabiting couple, but

Journal of Financial Therapy, 2022

Finances, and how couples manage their finances, can have important implications for couples' rel... more Finances, and how couples manage their finances, can have important implications for couples' relational well-being. Using data from 1,585 couples that participated in the CREATE study (a nationally representative dyadic dataset of U.S. newlywed couples), we examined how perceiving one's spouse as a financial spender (i.e., spending more than they ideally would) or financial tightwad (i.e., spending less than they ideally would) was associated with several measures of relational well-being (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, and power) through actorpartner interdependence structural equation models. Results showed that perceiving one's partner as a spender was detrimental for both the individual's and the partner's marital satisfaction, marital commitment, and marital power. Perceiving one's partner as a tightwad was detrimental for both the individual's and the partner's marital commitment and marital power. The findings suggest that interventions focused on perceptions of financial management behaviors may help strengthen relational well-being among newlyweds.

Frontiers in Psychology, Aug 4, 2022

Emerging adult newlywed couples often experience many demands on their time, and three common pro... more Emerging adult newlywed couples often experience many demands on their time, and three common problems may surface as couples try to balance these demands-problems related to finances, sleep, and sex. We used two waves of dyadic data from 1,001 emerging adult newlywed couples to identify four dyadic latent profiles from husbands' and wives' financial management behaviors, sexual satisfaction, and sleep quality: Flounderers, Financially Challenged Lovers, Drowsy Budgeters, and Flourishers. We then examined how husbands' and wives' marital satisfaction, in relation to profile membership, varied at a later wave. We found that Financially Challenged Lovers and Flourishers had significantly higher marital satisfaction than Drowsy Budgeters and Flounderers (mostly medium effect sizes). Whereas, Financially Challenged Lovers and Flourishers did not differ in terms of marital satisfaction, Drowsy Budgeters seemed to have slightly higher marital satisfaction than Flounderers for wives only (small effect size). However, we did not find evidence that these connections meaningfully differed by sex. Implications for the efforts of clinicians and educators are discussed.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY As chair of the candidate's graduate committee, I have read the thesis o... more BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY As chair of the candidate's graduate committee, I have read the thesis of Spencer Lyle James in its final form and have found that (1) its format, citations, and bibliographical style are consistent and acceptable and fulfill university and department style requirements; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the graduate committee and is ready for submission to the university library.

Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, Feb 8, 2021

Research on stepfamilies strongly supports the importance of positive parent-child relationships ... more Research on stepfamilies strongly supports the importance of positive parent-child relationships on child outcomes. However, most of this research has focused on one or two of these relationships failing to acknowledge the interconnected impact of all three parental figures. To fill this gap, I used latent class analysis and identified six classes of parent-child relationship constellations. The national sample in this study (n=1,159) were all participants in The Stepfamily Experiences Project (STEP). Parent-child relationship quality indicators were based on participants' retrospective reports on the warmth/closeness, communication, and level of active parenting they experienced in their stepfamily household. After identifying classes I examined how class membership was affected by resident parent relationships status, EA sex, stepparent sex, years spent in a stepfamily, the age the EA entered the stepfamily and the time spent with the nonresident parent. Finally, I examined how class membership impacted depression, drug use, and hooking up. Ultimately, the analysis indicated that there is much complexity in the stepfamily experience and its potential influence on later life outcomes.

Journal of Family Studies

During adolescence, the need for social connection increases. Yet, fostering emotional closeness ... more During adolescence, the need for social connection increases. Yet, fostering emotional closeness in relationships becomes more complex, as the need for autonomy also increases and social environments must adapt to become conducive to these seemingly competing needs. This complexity necessitates more research on what happens to close relationships during adolescence, so parents, scholars, and practitioners are better equipped to help individuals navigate the unique social atmosphere of adolescence. The current study draws upon multi-level modeling techniques to estimate growth models of Australian adolescents' closeness to parents and closeness to friends from ages 12-17 and examine predictors of these trajectories. Findings reveal that on average, adolescents' levels of closeness to parents exhibit a moderate decrease while remaining relatively high, and boys appear to have a closer relationship with their parents than girls throughout the period examined. Levels of closeness to friends similarly decline while remaining relatively high, with girls exhibiting both greater levels of closeness and a faster decrease than boys throughout the timeframe examined. These results are discussed in light of the current literature and recommendations for future studies are provided.

showcases some of the best student research from the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences... more showcases some of the best student research from the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences. The mentored learning program encourages undergraduate students to participate in hands-on and practical research under the direction of a faculty member. Students create these posters as an aide in presenting the results of their research to the public, faculty, and their peers.

Family Relations

Objective: We examined how relationship satisfaction changed during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pa... more Objective: We examined how relationship satisfaction changed during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as how relationship satisfaction related to public policy support. Background: Conservation of resources (COR) theory suggests that societal-level stressors (such as a global pandemic) threaten familial and individual resources, straining couple relationships. Relationship satisfaction is in turn linked with important individual, familial, and societal outcomes, necessitating research on how COVID-19 impacted this facet of relationships. Method: Drawing from an international project on COVID-19 and family life, participants included 734 married and cohabiting American parents of children under 18 years of age. Results: Findings revealed relationship satisfaction declined moderately compared to retrospective reports of relationship satisfaction prior to the pandemic. This decline was more precipitous for White individuals, women, parents less involved in their children's lives, and those reporting higher levels of depressive symptoms. We also found that higher relationship satisfaction was associated with higher levels of support for family policy, particularly for men. At higher levels of relationship satisfaction, men and women had similarly high levels of support for family policy, while at lower levels, women's support for family policy was significantly higher. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic likely amplified facets of social inequality, which is especially concerning when considering the large socioeconomic gaps prior to the pandemic. Implications: Therapists, researchers, and policy makers should examine how relationship satisfaction may have changed during the pandemic because relationship satisfaction is

Journal of Family Issues, 2020

With marriage now delayed until later in the life course, developmental and young adult scholars ... more With marriage now delayed until later in the life course, developmental and young adult scholars have increasingly focused on how relational and marital beliefs of unmarried young adults influence developmental and relational trajectories. Yet little research has explored how these same perceptions and beliefs may alter adult relationships and marriages. Using a national U.S. sample of 1,755 newlywed couples, we explored how beliefs about the centrality of marriage were associated with marital quality and commitment. A common-fate approach that simultaneously allowed for both individual and couple-level analyses was used. Results suggested that higher marital centrality beliefs separately for each partner and jointly as a couple were strongly associated with higher interpersonal commitment to one’s spouse and the general level of commitment in the relationship. Significant indirect effects found for husbands, wives, and at the couple-level suggested that higher marital centrality be...

Development and Psychopathology

Research on marital quality and child well-being is currently limited by its common use of geogra... more Research on marital quality and child well-being is currently limited by its common use of geographically constrained, homogenous, and often cross-sectional (or at least temporally limited) samples. We build upon previous work showing multiple trajectories of marital quality and data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (NLSY79) regarding mothers and their children (inclusive of ages 5–14). We examine how indicators of child well-being are linked to parental trajectories of marital quality (happiness, communication, and conflict). Results showed children whose parents had consistently poor marital quality over the life course exhibited more internalizing and externalizing problems, poorer health, lower quality home environments, and lower math and vocabulary scores than children of parents in consistently higher-quality marriages. Group differences remained stable over time for child health, home environment, and vocabulary scores. Group differences for internalizing ...

Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 2022

Guided by the family adjustment and adaptation response (FAAR) model and using a panel survey of ... more Guided by the family adjustment and adaptation response (FAAR) model and using a panel survey of 1510 adults in the US administered during the summer of 2020 and a mixed methods approach, we explored associations between changes in financial stress related to COVID-19 and relational wellbeing. Regression analyses showed that, compared to those who maintained their levels of financial stress, those who reported increased financial stress reported increased conflict and those who reported decreased financial stress reported decreased conflict. However, decreased financial stress was also associated with decreases in emotional closeness and relationship happiness, suggesting that changes in financial stress can lead to both maladaptation and bonadaptation in families. Qualitative findings provide insights into factors that may exacerbate or help alleviate financial stress related to COVID-19. Keywords Financial stress • COVID-19 • Relational wellbeing • Family adjustment and adaptation response • Family finance Finances matter a great deal for various aspects of couple and family relationships and wellbeing (Dew, 2020; Kelley et al., 2020). Finances have been consistently identified as one of the top stressors for both individuals and relationships in America (APA, 2015, 2019). The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns and restrictions have created widespread economic challenges which, for many, have led to increased financial stress (NEFE, 2020). Given the associations between financial stress and family relationships, the primary purpose of this study is to explore how changes in financial stress related to COVID-19 influence family relationships. Utilizing the family adjustment and adaptation response (FAAR) model (Patterson, 1988) as our theoretical framework, we also aim to explore the specific issues that exacerbated financial stress during COVID-19, as well as behaviors, resources, and meanings that helped alleviate or reduce financial stress during this time.

Social Sciences, 2020

Literature on social capital has long considered whether and how social capital is protective aga... more Literature on social capital has long considered whether and how social capital is protective against various risk behaviors, including age at sexual debut. However, much of this literature uses data from wealthy countries in the Global North and is often cross-sectional, dampening generalizability. In this paper, we employ longitudinal South African data from adolescents in the Cape Area Panel Study to examine the longitudinal link between social capital and age at sexual debut. We first examine the overall relationship between age at sexual debut and social capital and then examine how the relationship differs by race. Results suggest that, on average, each additional activity is associated with an approximate 2 month delay in age at sexual debut. However, we observed steep racial differences. For Africans, the link between social capital and age at sexual debut was not significant, while the results for Coloureds and Whites were. For Coloureds, each additional activity translated...

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 2019

Previous research has documented the effects of divorce on children, families, communities, taxpa... more Previous research has documented the effects of divorce on children, families, communities, taxpayers, and society. Accordingly, local, state, and national governments have enacted policies aimed at strengthening marriages and reducing divorce. Currently, ten states have enacted some form of premarital education promotion policy. However, no research has documented whether the implementation of premarital education promotion policies has actually decreased the divorce rate in implementing states. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to investigate empirically the effectiveness of premarital education policy implementation on reducing early divorce rates. Prior to running any empirical analyses, an implementation study was conducted to understand how effectively each state implemented the premarital education promotion policy. A combination of methods was used for this study including reviewing the legislative documents, reviewing archival records, as well as interviewing academics and key persons associated with the bill. Following the implementation study, an impact study was conducted to analyze the effects of the policies on the divorce rates. Divorce rate data were obtained from NCHS National Vital Statistics Reports (1988-2016). To assess the effects of premarital education policies, difference-indifference estimation using state fixed effects was employed. The results of the implementation study suggest that while the policies had similarities in their language and intent, the majority of the states had little or no formal oversight and implementation of the policy. Results of the impact study suggest that effectively implementing a policy is significantly associated with a .5% in the divorce rate after controlling for all other variables in the model. I conclude with a discussion of the implementation and impact studies results as well as suggestions for future policy efforts and research.

Children and Youth Services Review, 2018

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) stipulates children are entitled to "a fam... more The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) stipulates children are entitled to "a family en-vironment…of happiness, love and understanding". Recent work on deinstitutionalization of children from residential care has found important child wellbeing differences, particularly around hope. Using data from Ghana-a country that has initiated reintegration of children from residential care facilities, therefore providing a natural opportunity for comparative research-we used hope, whether the child has been reunified with family/caregivers or remained in the care facility, and a statistical interaction of the two, along with controls, to predict the Child Status Index, an internationally-established measure of child wellbeing. We found hope was associated with greater wellbeing for both groups; the influence of hope, however, was stronger among reunified children. We briefly articulate mechanisms explaining why this may be and suggest that psychological wellbeing, particularly hope, may function as a moderator to help provide children with an important means of negotiating their environments.

Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, Jan 7, 2018

In this study, we applied conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) to explain high rates ... more In this study, we applied conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) to explain high rates of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among war- and disaster-affected Tamil widows in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. We hypothesized exposure to potentially traumatic events and severity of current contextual problems would influence PTSS and depressive symptoms directly and indirectly through loss of psychological (view of self), environmental (sense of community), and energy (physical health) resources. Trained research assistants interviewed a convenience sample (N = 381) of women, using established measures of the constructs of interest. Data were analyzed using path analysis in MPlus. The significance of the indirect effects was tested using bootstrapping. The model had an acceptable fit (χ2 = 4.06, df = 1, p < .05; Log Likelihood = -3344.26*; AIC = 6760.59; BIC = 6894.64; RMSEA = 0.09; CFI = .99; TLI = .91; SRMR = .02) and explained approximately 38% of the...