"Traditional" men more likely to say, "I do".

• Position: Marriage

Men raised in "traditional" family households--with both biological parents present and who are religiously observant--are more likely to marry than those from nontraditional homes, according to a nationwide survey by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Among the unmarried men surveyed, 55% from traditional households indicate they "would be ready to marry tomorrow if the right person came along," compared to 43% from other kinds of family backgrounds. Unmarried men who attend religious services several times a month, and those who say their fathers were very involved in their upbringing are more "ready" to wed than men who are not religious and whose fathers were not involved in their lives.

The survey also found that married and unmarried men from traditional family and religious backgrounds have more positive attitudes toward women, children, and marriage. "The findings suggest that the experience of growing up with both parents is an important factor influencing young men's desires for, and confidence in, marriage," states David Popenoe, a Rutgers sociology professor and co-director of the National Marriage Project.

The research also identified a small, but significant percentage of...