The study, entitled, “Men & Marriage: Debunking the Ball and Chain Myth” by W. Bradford Wilcox and Nicholas H. Wolfnger of the Institute for Family Studies found that marriage has a transformative effect upon men.

“Married men typically work harder, smarter, and more successfully. They are less likely to be fired, and they make about $16,000 more than their single peers with otherwise similar backgrounds," the report states.

Economists call it "men’s marriage premium” because a growing body of research in both the U.S. and other developed countries finds that married men earn between 10 and 40 percent more than otherwise comparable single men. Although some of this is due to the fact that men with the greatest earning potential are most likely to get married in the first place, the most sophisticated recent research suggests that marriage itself increases the earning power of men on the order of 10 to 24 percent.

Economic satisfaction is not the only advantage married men enjoy. They also report being more satisfied with their sex lives than their unmarried counterparts. Even though unmarried cohabiting men (age 20-39) have sex more frequently, only 39 percent said they were extremely satisfied with their sex life. On the other hand, married men report having sex less often but 51 percent expressed extreme satisfaction with the quality of their encounters.

“Contrary to all the conventional wisdom, married men find sex more emotionally and physically pleasurable than their unmarried peers,” the report states.

Why does marriage make sex better?

“For starters, both spouses are making long-term investments in a good sex life. One of these investments seems to be heightened intimacy,” the report continues. “

Women are four times as likely as men to make love a requirement for having sex, and marriage is obviously a venue in which women feel the love necessary for sexual engagement. However, studies have found that men are also more likely to experience sexual satisfaction when in a lasting relationship.

“So from a sexual perspective, research suggests that marriage is worth the commitment it requires,” the report concludes.

Married men are also healthier both physically and emotionally. Research has found that men who get and stay married live almost 10 years longer than their unmarried peers. In fact, a recent Harvard study found that even among men diagnosed with cancer, married men lived significantly longer.

So what accounts for these findings?

“Simply put, the companionship, the support, and even the nagging that men get from their wives in marriage translate into better physical health," the report states. "Married people appear to manage illness better, monitor each other’s health, and adopt healthier lifestyles than do otherwise similar singles.”

This supportive environment naturally leads to better mental health which explains why married men experience less depression and more happiness than their bachelor counterparts.

“Social science confirms that marriage confers enormous benefits for men’s wallets, for their sex life, and for their physical and mental health. Yet too many men still believe in the ball and chain myth, viewing marriage as an expensive encumbrance on their freedom and their sex lives,” the report concludes.

“These views are ubiquitous in popular culture, and this has undoubtedly had adverse consequences for men’s aspirations to marriage. We believe these negative perceptions need to change. The first step is ensuring that the next generation knows the truth about marriage.”

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