Way of love and after-marriage well-being: Evidence from China

Abstract

Based on 2010 China Family Panel Studies, we use Ordered Probit, Instrumental Variables, and Conditional Mixed Process to analyze the effect of different ways of love on after-marriage well-being. The findings are: (i) Compared with arranged marriage, free love can significantly increase the well-being of married residents. (ii) In heterogeneity analysis, the promotion effect of free love on well-being is more obvious among the couples 2 years after marriage, residents with positive personal values, the post-80s, and rural areas. (iii) In mechanism analysis, married residents who met through free love will significantly enhance their ability to get along with others, increase their intimacy with their spouses, improve family harmony, and reduce their emphasis on family succession, thus further enhancing their well-being.