This supplement to Chapter 5 of Sourcebook of Family Theory and Research , reviews research findings on factors that predict marital success or failure. It begins by summarizing the research done by Ernest W. Burgess, a sociology professor at the University of Chicago from 1916 through 1960, that concluded marital success could be predicted for groups of couples who possess certain characteristics; however, the success of an individual couple could not be predicted using statistical techniques. Findings from other research studies are shared, along with their limitations. The supplement concludes that any investigation of martial success should include a measure of the extent to which marriage and the marital partner should contribute to the feeling of personal fulfillment, the perceptions of commitment to the marriage, and the perceptions of reciprocity each partner has of their marriage and their marital partner. 12 references.