Earlier studies have shown that "we-ness" versus "me-ness" is a strong indicator of how happy younger couples are. This new study out of the University of California (Berkley) shows how the pronoun/identity factor plays out over time as couples either team up or become polarized over disagreements. Researchers found that couples who use words such […]

The team of U.S. and Norwegian researchers studied 205 randomly selected couples from southern Norway for two years. The couples showed problems typical of struggling relationships. Half of the couples in the study used the client feedback system, while the other half did not. Couples using the client-based feedback reported feeling more satisfied in their […]

A new sex education guide, drafted by teachers, religious groups, health charities, parents and children, emphasizes the challenges and responsibilities of parenthood. It also highlights the importance of marriage and strong, stable relationships when raising children. The UK children's secretary, Ed Balls, states "We want to give young people the facts, so that they can […]

The reason politicians are not just entitled, but obliged, to take an interest in marriage is because of the compelling evidence that marriage makes a practical difference in society. The statistics are pretty overwhelming in showing that marriage acts as a check on family breakdown and that family breakdown boosts the likelihood of an array […]

According to a recent study, new parents' marital status is the number one predictor of whether or not they will stay together. It doesn't matter how rich or well educated they are, cohabiting parents are at least twice as likely to split up as married parents of similar income or education. The author of this […]

While no study has documented how frequent these clashes have become, therapists agree that the green issue can quickly become poisonous because it is so morally charged. Friends or family members who are not devoted to the environmental cause can become irritated by life choices they view as ostentatiously self-denying or politically correct. Those with […]

A happy marriage can reduce heart disease risk in ways not previously understood. This research showed that couples that were more hostile to each other had more calcification in the arteries that provide blood flow to the heart, even without any physical risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It appears that hostile marriages seem to increase […]

The study looking at 3,500 British couples after the birth of their first child, found that as husbands helped with household tasks, shopping, and childcare there was a lower incidence of divorce. These findings may trump previous theories that increases in divorce rates which began in the early 1960s were due to increases in the […]

A couple's expectations for what married life is supposed to be like play a big role in how well and happily they will adjust. Research shows that couples who are happily married disagree as much as those who divorce. The difference is that happily married couples are the ones who recognize that disagreeing about money, […]

Steven Stosny PhD suggests that it couples' don't have communication problems, but connection problems. People usually shut out their partners because they feel like their partner does not care about them or their feelings; they shut down in order to deaden the pain of disconnection. Before fighting, be aware that you must convey value to […]