What is the effect that children or a mortgage have on a couples/marriages?

[Claire92]

Couples with children or a mortgage are less likely to break up. Thus, some counsellor’s point out that having a child changes a marriage (for the better). What psychological process could explain the former statement and which faulty reasoning is in place in the latter.

[S. Earl Martin]

I can't see how a scientific sample could be taken to prove or disprove this? At best you could take a small sample. I have known of people who either tried to stay together "for the children", but I also have known a lot of people who got divorced wheather they had children or not. I have seen financial problems cause divorce and I have seen people not get divorced because they couldn't afford the cost of the divorce. Plus I would think the particular social and economic class or religious background might be a part of the equation. Educational level many other factors would need to be considered? I would admit it is possible in certain situations, but not as a whole.