It is impossible to predict with 100% certainty whether a couple will get divorced. Social scientists can predict which couples are most likely to get divorced. These two couples share some commonalities, not only in how they fight or describe their relationship but also in their education and work experience.
These are 12 factors that can predict divorce. These factors can be identified in both movies and real life.
You can get married while you’re still a teenager, or after 32 years of age.
When you feel ready and have found the right person to share your life with, it is the best time to get married. Do not force or delay anything just because someone told you to.
Research suggests that those who marry as teenagers or after the age of 32 are at greater risk for divorce than those who marry later in life. Teenage couples are at highest risk.
According to a Harvard University study, it’s not the couple’s financial situation that can affect your chances of divorcing but the division and distribution of labor.
Alexandra Killewald, a researcher, looked at heterosexual marriages which began after 1975 and found that those who had no full-time jobs had a 3.3% chance to divorce the next year. This was compared with the 2.5% for couples that had a full time job.
However, the likelihood of divorcing is not affected by the spouses’ employment status.
It seems unfair that divorce rates are lower for couples who have spent more time at high school. Research suggests otherwise.
A US Bureau of Labor Statistics article highlights the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979) results, which looked at the patterns of marriage and divorce among a group of young people who were born after World War II. The post says: This is the post:
“The likelihood of a marriage ending with divorce was lower among people who have more education. More than half of marriages between those who didn’t finish high school and college graduates ended in divorce, whereas 30% of marriages were saved by college graduates.”
This could be due to the fact that a lower education is associated with lower income. This in turn predicts a stressful life.
John Gottman, a University of Washington psychologist and founder of The Gottman Institute, identified four behaviors in couples as the “four horsesmen of the apocalypse”. They predict divorce with frightening accuracy.
First, you should not treat your partner with contempt. This behavior is what Gottman calls the “kiss to death” of a relationship. Critique can also cause the end of a relationship. Further instability can be caused by making a partner’s behavior a reflection of your character. Problems can also be caused by being defensive or playing the victim when faced with difficult situations. Blocking or hindering the conversation between your partner and you is also a recipe to disaster.
It can be difficult to not want to hug and kiss your spouse when you’re newly married. The opposite is also not a good idea.
Ted Huston, a psychologist, has been studying 168 married couples for 13 years. This began on their wedding day. Huston and his team conducted numerous interviews with the couples during the course of the study.
The results showed that couples who separated after seven years or more were more affectionate than those who married happily for longer periods of time.
Aviva Patz summarized the situation in Psychology Today as follows: “Spouses who marry after experiencing romantic bliss are more likely to get divorced because it is so hard to maintain that intensity.” It is true that marriages that start with less Hollywood romance tend to have a brighter future.
Do not underestimate the impact that weight stress can have on a marriage.
In 2007, a Journal of Social and Personal Relationships article examined the causes of divorce in European couples and concluded that daily stress was a major factor.
Even seemingly trivial events, such as missing an appointment or missing a bus, can create tension between spouses.
According to the authors, participants reported that daily stress was more important than falling in love or violence as a trigger for divorce.
Do you speak up if your partner tries to talk to or confront you about something? It is not a good sign if this happens (or if you partner is guilty).
In a 2013 study, the Journal of Marriage and Family reported that “withdrawal” behaviour by husbands was associated with higher divorce rates. The researchers interviewed 350 newly married couples to reach this conclusion.
A 2014 study in Communication Monographs found that couples who practice “demand/withdrawal” relationships are less happy. This is when one partner exerts pressure on the other while receiving silence in return.
Gottman and other University of Washington researchers devised a process called “oral history interview” in 1992. This involves asking couples to discuss different aspects of their relationships. The researchers can predict which couples will divorce by analysing the conversations.
Research has shown that you could also divorce your parents if they do. Although statistics vary on this theory and there are many variables, a study done by Paul Amato (researcher) and Danelle Deboer (researcher) found that women who divorced their parents had 69% higher chances of divorce. Study also showed that divorce rates increased 189% if spouses divorced.
Some professions have a higher divorce rate. Game managers, flight attendants, and bartenders have the highest divorce rates. The least likely jobs to divorce include actuaries, life doctors, scientists, and physical scientists.
Most married couples stress about money. Money is often a major factor that leads to divorce. According to a 2012 Family Relations Journal study, money is the most important predictor of divorce in both men and for women. Despite the belief that money is what causes divorce, research shows that couples with higher incomes are more likely than others to split.
The chances of a couple getting divorced can be affected by whether or not they have children. At least 66% of divorcing couples in America reported having no children in 2010, compared with 40% who had.
If one spouse does not want children, tension can result. The report shows that couples who are not in agreement about having children are twice as likely get divorced.
Howdy! My name's Charlotte Gray. I'm a Prairie gal and live in a small town in Colorado. I'm a young mom and love to explore all aspects of life. To try out new and different things. This blog is all about me expressing those different things and discovering new challenges and writing about solving life's problems.
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