# Institute for Family Studies marital research > Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/institute-for-family-studies-marital-research > Updated: 2026-10-03T20:31:28.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 3. The Institute for Family Studies has released research examining various factors correlated with marital stability and satisfaction in the United States. Initial findings indicated a link between shared surnames and marriage longevity. An analysis of Pew Research Center data and Texas divorce records suggested that couples who do not share a last name are 50% more likely to divorce than those who do. Author Lyman Stone noted that shared names might reflect a ‘team-first approach to marriage,’ while also suggesting that bureaucratic difficulties in changing names could influence divorce rates. Subsequent research titled ‘The Devout Difference: Religion, Marital Quality, and Sex Among Americans’ identified a statistical connection between regular religious practice and marital happiness. The study found that practicing Catholics and Protestants reported higher levels of marital satisfaction compared to those without religious affiliations. The report highlighted a ‘faith-family paradox,’ noting that while religious attendance has declined since the 1970s, active churchgoers remain significantly more likely to be married and report stable families. Expanding on these religious correlations, a 2026 report utilizing the IFS Religion and Family Survey, the General Social Survey, and a FOCUS alumni survey found that regular religious attendance is also linked to higher sexual frequency and satisfaction. Among married adults aged 20 to 54, 62 percent of regular churchgoers reported having sex at least once a week, compared to 48 percent of non-religious spouses. The study noted that 55 percent of Catholics and 45 percent of Protestants rated their sex lives as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’. Researchers observed that daily prayer was associated with higher sexual satisfaction among married Catholics and Protestants, though it was not linked to increased frequency. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-03: Institute for Family Studies report links religious attendance to marital satisfaction A study by the Institute for Family Studies finds that married Americans who regularly attend church report higher sexual frequency and satisfaction than non-religious spouses. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/institute-for-family-studies-report-links-religious-attendance-to-marital-satisfaction ### 2026-09-30: Institute for Family Studies links religious practice to marital happiness A study by the Institute for Family Studies finds that regular religious practice in the US is associated with higher rates of marriage, marital happiness, and lower divorce rates. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/institute-for-family-studies-report-links-religious-practice-to-marriage-stability ### 2026-09-17: Institute for Family Studies report links surname sharing to lower divorce rates A study by the Institute for Family Studies finds that couples with different last names divorce 50% more often and sooner than those who share a surname. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/institute-for-family-studies-report-links-surname-sharing-to-lower-divorce-rates --- Cite as: Institute for Family Studies marital research. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/institute-for-family-studies-marital-research