Answer to Question 1
Married people are healthier than nonmarried individuals (Ribar,
2003). Research studies have found, for example, that marriage appears to prolong mental
acuity and functioning and is associated with more vitality in women over age 60 (Michael,
Berkman, Colditz, & Kawachi, 2001). Also, married men tend to be healthier than unmarried
men. Some research suggests that married men are healthier because their wives nurture them
and provide tender loving care for them (Maushart, 2002).
Answer to Question 2
Marriage brings with it numerous economic benefits:
- Owning one house or renting one apartment is cheaper than owning or renting two dwellings
- Two incomes vs. one income
- Married couples often save money by filing Federal and State taxes jointly
- Automobile insurance is often cheaper for married couples than two individuals
- Inheritance, social security, worker's compensation and other benefits allowed only to married couples.
In addition to the cost savings of living jointly in one residence, professor of economics at George Washington University, David Ribar (2003 ) cites a substantial body of research that consistently demonstrates that the average annual incomes and financial assets are greater among married couple households than for unmarried adults or for non-married cohabitation couples.
This chart illustrates the four quadrants in which we can place the relationships between the state
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