What recent finding contradicts earlier research on cohabitation?

• A. Recent studies indicate that negative effects on marital quality have disappeared.
• B. Negative effects on marital quality have intensified.
• C. There is no research on this topic.
• D. Cohabitation is illegal in most countries.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how new evidence about cohabitation and marital quality compares to what earlier studies suggested. The correct statement says that recent studies indicate negative effects on marital quality have disappeared. This directly contradicts earlier research that found cohabitation before marriage was associated with lower marital quality or higher likelihood of divorce. What changed is that newer studies often account for selection effects (the kinds of people who choose to cohabit), social norms, and the context in which cohabitation occurs. When these factors are better controlled or when cohabitation has become more common and stable, the previously observed negative link tends to weaken or vanish. So this finding challenges earlier conclusions by showing that the relationship is not fixed and can vary with time and context. The other options don’t fit because they either reinforce the older view, claim no research exists, or state something false about legality.