Psychology of sex - Total No. of Records in System :: 2032

MARRIAGEHart and Shields in Philadelphia, measuring satisfactionin marriage by appearances in the Domestic RelationsCourt, found results opposed to early marriage, while Patterson,also in Philadelphia, failed to find a significantlylarger proportion of marital difficulties when marriagetook place under 20 years of age than in later marriage.Dickinson and Lura Beam found that the average age ofwives who could be regarded as "adjusted without complaint"was some years over the average age, and in consideringthe length of married life of those couples whoeventually separated or divorced it was not found to beshortest in those who married youngest. Those who marrylater are in the best position to know their own deepestneeds and to form sound judgments, but at the same timethey have often acquired psychic habits and physicaltroubles which render mental adjustment difficult whilethe young girl is not only more adjustable psychicallybut usually much more apt physically for coitus, and eventhan iscommonlyfor maternity, supposed. The questionis indeed not entirely of age but also of character, intelligence,and experience; the average age of marriage isprobably at present quite as high as is desirable, and oftentoo high. Burgdorferisemphatically on the side of earlymarriage, while Hagen and Max Christian conclude thatfrom the eugenic standpoint a man should marry at 25and a woman earlier,courageously facing whatever difficultiesmay arise later. In Germany, where the age for menit wasis around 29 and for women 25, a few centuries agounder 19 for men and under 15 for girls.At whatever age marriage takes place, it is highly desirable,and ought indeed to be considered necessary, thatfull medical examination of each party should be madefrom the point of view of marital relationships and parenthood.This should be made at an early stage, and[269]