ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the Longitudinal studies show us that there is a selection effect in regard to who becomes a mother in a stepfamily. Selection effects are defined as the nonrandom incidence of people with particular characteristics in a situation or group. The most common two-parent stepfamily form is a stepfather household. In England and the United States, between 80 percent and 90 percent of stepfamily households with two parents comprise a mother, a stepfather, and the mother’s children. Studies that examine the current well-being of biological mothers in stepfamilies find that they are in comparatively poor health in a number of ways. In an English study of stepfamilies, men in stepmother families reported the highest levels of unhappy partnerships and lowest levels of life satisfaction. Nonresident fathers are usually discussed in regard to the contact and relationships they have with their children.
