Marriage or cohabitation in Bulgaria: How do these two types of union relate to the satisfaction of psychological needs?

This study aims to investigate how entering a union whether by marriage or cohabitation impacts the satisfaction of the psychological needs of couples in Bulgaria in terms of autonomy, relatedness, and competence compared to those of people who remain single or in a non-formalized relationship, such as living apart together (LAT). The research takes gender differences into account. A longitudinal survey conducted in two phases was used. The sample included individuals who were single or in a non-coresidential union at the time of the first interview and who got married or started living with their partner (2,557 individuals) between the two waves. The aim of the investigation was to determine whether the decision to get married or cohabit, made between the two waves, was related to changes in the individual partners’ psychological needs. In order to estimate the effects of the decision to start a coresidential union on these needs, we used propensity score matching. The results show that even when a control involving a set of observable variables is used: 1) married people of both genders score higher for competence compared to those who are single or in a non-coresidential relationship; 2) relatedness needs are only satisfied by cohabitation for the male participants, and 3) marriage satisfies relatedness needs for both genders.