Paul R. Amato

Paul R. Amato
Arnold and Bette Hoffman Emeritus Professor of Family Sociology and Demography

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. 1983 James Cook University (Australia), Behavioral Science

Professional Bio

Research and Teaching Interests

Causes and consequences of separation and divorce, marriage and marital quality, parent-child relationships, psychological distress and well-being over the life course

Professional Awards and Achievements

  • 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award, James Cook University, Australia
  • 2013  President, National Council on Family Relations
  • 2012  Chair, Sociology of the Family Section, American Sociological Association
  • 2008  Ernest Burgess Award for outstanding scholarly and career achievement in the study of families, National Council on Family Relations
  • 2008  Reuben Hill Award from the National Council on Family Relations for the best article published in the previous year to combine theory and research on the family
  • 2006  Distinguished Career Award, American Sociological Association, Sociology of the Family Section
  • 2006  Member of the Sociological Research Association
  • 2004  Highly Cited Researcher, Thomson Institute for Scientific Information
  • 2003  Distinction in the Social Sciences Award, College of the Liberal Arts, Pennsylvania State University
  • 2003  Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
  • 2002  Reuben Hill Award from the National Council on Family Relations for the best article published in the previous year to combine theory and research on the family
  • 2002  Conference Program Chair, National Council on Family Relations
  • 2001  Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations
  • 2001  Impact Award, Coalition for Marriage, Family, and Couples Education
  • 2000  Reuben Hill Award from the National Council on Family Relations for the best article published in the previous year to combine theory and research on the family
  • 1999  Elected Chair, Research and Theory Section, National Council on Family Relations
  • 1994  Reuben Hill Award from the National Council on Family Relations for the best article published in the previous year to combine theory and research on the family
  • 1992  Fulbright (Indo-American) Fellowship from the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars to conduct research in India

Selected Publications

  • Amato, Paul R. and Jennifer B. Kane. 2011. “Parents’ Marital Distress, Divorce, and Remarriage: Links with Daughters’ Early Family Formation Transitions.” Journal of Family Issues 32: 1073-1103.
  • Amato, Paul R. and Brett Beattie. 2011. “Does the Unemployment Rate Affect the Divorce Rate? An Analysis of State Data 1960-2005.” Social Science Research 40: 705-715.
  • Xu, Anqi, Yuanting Zhang, and Paul R. Amato. 2011. “A Comparison of Divorce Risk Models in China and the United States.” Journal of Comparative Family Studies 42: 289-295.
  • Amato, Paul R. and Jennifer B. Kane. 2011. “Life Course Pathways and the Psychosocial Well-Being of Young Adult Women.” Journal of Marriage and Family 73: 279-295.
  • Amato, Paul R. 2010. “Research on Divorce: Continuing Trends and New Developments.” Journal of Marriage and Family 72: 650-666.
  • Stanley, Scott M., Galena K. Rhoades, Paul R. Amato, Howard J. Markman, and Christine A. Johnson. 2010. “The Timing of Cohabitation and Engagement: Impact on First and Second Marriages.” Journal of Marriage and Family 72: 906-918.
  • Cheadle, Jacob, Paul R. Amato, and Valarie King. 2010. “Patterns of Nonresident Father Involvement.” Demography 47: 205-226.
  • Amato, Paul R. and Spencer James. 2010. “Divorce in Europe and the United States: Similarities and Differences Across Nations.” Family Science: Journal of the European Society on Family Relations 1: 2-13.
  • Amato, Paul R., Catherine E. Meyers, and Robert E. Emery. 2009. “Changes in Nonresident Father-Child Contact From 1976 to 2002.”  Family Relations 58: 41-53.
  • Hohmann-Marriott, Bryndl and Paul R. Amato. 2008 “Relationship Quality in Interethnic Marriages and Cohabitations.”  Social Forces 87: 825-856.
  • Amato, Paul R., Nancy Landale, Tara Habasevich, Alan Booth, David Eggebeen, Susan McHale, and Robert Schoen. 2008. “Precursors of Young Women’s Family Formation Trajectories.” Journal of Marriage and Family 70: 1271-1286.
  • Amato, Paul R. and Jacob Cheadle. 2008. “Parental Divorce, Marital Conflict, and Children’s Behavior Problems: A Comparison of Adopted and Biological Children.” Social Forces 86: 1139-1161.
  • Daniel Hawkins, Paul R. Amato, and Valarie King. 2007. “The Relationship Between Nonresident Father Involvement and Adolescent Well-Being: Parent Effects or Child Effects?” American Sociological Review 72: 990-1010.
  • Amato, Paul R., Alan Booth, and David Johnson. 2007. Alone Together: How Marriage in America is Changing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Amato, Paul R. 2007. Strengthening Marriage is an Appropriate Social Policy Goal. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 26: 952-956, 961-963.
  • Amato, Paul R. and Rebecca Maynard. 2007. Decreasing Nonmarital Births and Strengthening Marriage to Reduce Poverty. Future of Children17: 117-142.
  • Amato, Paul R., and Bryndl Hohmann-Marriott. 2007. A Comparison of High and Low-Distress Marriages that End in Divorce. Journal of Marriage and Family 69: 621-638.

Research Interests by Concentration

Demography

Demography of life course, marital quality, divorce

Quantitative Methods

Structural equation modeling, latent class analysis
Paul R.  Amato
814-865-2527