Study title

Family Barometer 2003: Couple Relationships under Strain

Dataset ID Number

FSD2130

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2130

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Paajanen, Pirjo (Finnish Family Federation. Population Research Institute)

Abstract

The survey focused on couple relationships, marriage, and divorce. Views were probed on how important certain factors were to a good couple relationship (e.g. spouses have own friends and hobbies, spouses share many hobbies, good sex, mutual respect). The respondents were also asked whether they agreed with a number of statements relating to couple relationships, and how important certain things (e.g. children, job, hobbies) were to them. One question explored opinions on whether both spouses should participate equally in children's hobbies, household chores, taking care of elderly relatives, etc. The respondents' satisfaction with their current relationship, job, parenthood, financial situation, general health, sex life, etc. were charted. They were asked whom they had turned to when experiencing difficulties in the couple relationship, how often they had had conflicts with their spouse, and in what way these conflicts had been resolved.

Satisfaction with different aspects of the relationship was charted. The respondents still married to their first spouse were asked whether they had ever considered divorce, and the divorced ones were asked whether both spouses had wanted to divorce. Views were probed on what factors the respondents considered might be or had been important for getting divorced (e.g. unfaithfulness, sexual problems, nagging, childlessness, unrealistic expectations, falling in love with someone else). The divorced respondents were asked whether things had improved or got worse after the divorce (e.g. relations with children, friends, ex-spouse or parents, happiness, housing, leisure time), and whether they regretted having got divorced. The respondents still married to their first spouse were asked what had been the most important reasons for staying in the relationship.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, year of birth, how many months had known spouse before getting married, whether cohabited with spouse before marriage and for how long, spouse's year of birth, financial situation of the household in the past two years, R's and spouse's basic education, vocational education, and economic activity, R's current marital status, type of neighbourhood, number and ages of children from the marriage in question. Some variables contained information on R's parents. A distinguishing variable can be used to separate the two respondent groups (the respondents still married to the person they had married in 1995 and the respondents no longer married to the person they had married in 1995).

Keywords

divorce; interpersonal conflict; marriage; marriage dissolution; partnerships (personal); satisfaction

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Family life and marriage (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Family Barometers

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Paajanen, Pirjo (Finnish Family Federation. Population Research Institute)

Data Producers

• Finnish Family Federation. Population Research Institute

Time Period Covered

1995 – 2003

Collection Dates

2003-02 – 2003-03

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Family

Universe

People resident in Finland, aged 25-50, who had married for the first time in 1995 (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability: Stratified

A sample of 3000 persons born 1953 or later, and married for the first time in 1995, was drawn from the population register of Finland. The sample consisted of two groups, each comprising 1500 persons: 1) people who were still married to the same person they married in 1995, and 2) people who were divorced from the person they married in 1995.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

For the still married 65.5, and for the divorced 50.6

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

2.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

Two separate questionnares were used: one for the persons who were still married and another for the persons who were no longer married to the person they had married in 1995. It is possible to separate the two respondent groups (the still married and divorced) by using a distinguishing variable included in the data.

Responses to open-ended questions are not included in the data

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Paajanen, Pirjo (Finnish Family Federation): Family Barometer 2003: Couple Relationships under Strain [dataset]. Version 2.0 (2018-07-19). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD2130

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Special Terms and Conditions for Access

Users of the data shall send Väestöliitto [Family Federation of Finland] a copy of all research publications based on or using the data. Publications shall be sent to the mail address: Väestöliitto, Väestöntutkimuslaitos, PL 849, 00101 HELSINKI, FINLAND.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

FSD has not been informed of any publications related to the data.