Please find stats/articles proving that the architecture that a couple inhabits correlates to divorce rates

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Please find stats/articles proving that the architecture that a couple inhabits correlates to divorce rates

While there is no pre-existing information to fully answer your question, we've used the available data to pull together key findings: a study completed in Luxembourg discovered, "Overcrowding relates to union dissolution[,] but this is mainly due to other aspects of the housing situation of the couple." We performed our own analysis of median owner-occupied house sizes in Arkansas and Massachusetts, which have the highest and lowest divorce rates, respectively. We found that the median house size in Massachusetts is 206 square feet larger than in Arkansas. We also found information from the Psychology of Architecture Conference in Texas in 2016, which may lend insight into how choosing an environment for one's family directly impacts long term relationship viability. Below you'll find an outline of our research methodology to better understand why information you've requested is publicly unavailable, as well as a deep dive into our findings.

Methodology

We were unable to find statistics or articles proving that the architecture that a couple inhabits correlates directly to divorce rates in the United States. We researched reputable media sites, census data, architectural publications, and academic papers.

We then expanded our research globally, and found a recent study in Luxembourg that examined housing density and its potential impact on divorce rates. The study concluded, "Overcrowding relates to union dissolution[,] but this is mainly due to other aspects of the housing situation of the couple."

When then moved on to see if there was a correlation between housing density/size and divorce in the United States. Since there was no pre-compiled data on this topic, we triangulated to find some meaningful results. We compared median housing size in Arkansas and Massachusetts, which are the states with the highest and lowest divorce rates, respectively. We found that the median owner-occupied house in Massachusetts is 206 square feet larger than the median owner-occupied house in Arkansas.

When researching the psychological aspects of architecture, we came across information from the Psychology of Architecture Conference that was held in December 2016, in Austin, Texas. While none of the presentations were specifically on divorce, some covered the intertwining of emotions and architecture, which may lend insight into how choosing an environment for one's family directly impacts long term relationship viability.

Overcrowded Housing and Relationship Break up

In November 2017, the preliminary results of "Overcrowded Housing and Relationship Break up" were published. This study looked at the effects housing density may have on divorce rates in Luxembourg. The study looked at both objective and subjective variables.

The objective indicator took into account the "number of rooms needed, minus actual number of rooms present in the house." The number of "rooms needed" was based on the number of people in the house, their ages, and their genders. The subjective indicator was their response to the question, "Is your dwelling for your household too small, too big, or about right?"

Other factors taken into consideration included whether the couple said they had financial difficulty, if they owned their home, the couple's ages, and nationalities. In the end, the paper concluded, "Overcrowding relates to union dissolution[,] but this is mainly
due to other aspects of the housing situation of the couple."

United States Divorce Rates & Housing size

When researching divorce rates in the United States, it is important to keep in mind that a divorce may be filed and carried out in a state other than the one where the couple lived during their marriage. For example, Arkansas has the highest divorce rate, at 23.4 per 1,000 married people. According to documents we obtained from the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas, residency requirements for a divorce filing is that "one of the parties must live in Arkansas at least 60 days before the plaintiff files for divorce."

Keeping divorce residency requirements in mind, we took a look at housing in Arkansas, including home ownership rates and median house size, and compared this data to Massachusetts. Arkansas currently has the highest divorce rate, at 23.4 per 1,000 married people. Massachusetts has the lowest rate, at 12.3 per 1,000 married people. We researched the median size of owner-occupied housing because these statistics were readily available. We did not find data on rental homes.

Arkansas
Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 65.7%
Persons per household: 2.53
Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $114,700
Median price per square foot: $88

We were able to triangulate that the median owner-occupied house size in Arkansas is 1303 square feet.
$114,700 median value / $88 per square foot = 1303 square feet

Massachusetts
Owner-occupied housing unit rate: 62.1%
Persons per household: 2.54
Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $341,000
Median price per square foot: $226

We were able to triangulate that the median owner-occupied house size in Massachusetts is 1509 square feet.
$341,000 median value / $226 per square foot = 1509 square feet

Owner-occupied housing rates are similar, with less than a 4% difference between the two states. Additionally, the persons per household are virtually the same, with only a 0.01% difference. However, the median owner-occupied house size in Massachusetts is 206 square feet larger than in Arkansas.

Psychology of Architecture

The program for the Psychology of Architecture Conference held in December 2016, in Austin, Texas contains the abstracts for each presentation. While none of the presentations dealt specifically with divorce, they may still lend insight into how choosing an environment for one's family directly impacts long term relationship viability.

Videos of some presentations can be found on the Psychology of Architecture Conference's YouTube channel. Of particular interest to you may be Sam Gosling's presentation, “Putting Personality in its Place,” which is described as, "examining the connections between people and the places they occupy, focusing on how people manipulate and select their environments to reflect and express their attitudes, values, traits, and emotions."

Conclusion

We found a study carried out in Luxembourg that looked at the effects housing density may have on divorce rates in Luxembourg.
We performed our own analysis on housing size and divorce rates in Arkansas and Massachusetts. And lastly, we found information on the Psychology of Architecture Conference held in December 2016, in Austin, Texas.

Did this report spark your curiosity?

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