Relationship Research 2012

Since the dawn of time mankind has had questions relating to what drives us to form a loving relationship and what causes us to lose it or stop loving. Here are some excerpts from 2012 studies into what makes us tick.

Living together is no longer a predictor of divorce. The Centers for Disease Control conducted a study following a number of couples for some years. From the group that lived together before marriage there was no substantial increase in the incident of divorce compared to those who waited. However, within the group that did live together before marriage, the group that was engaged first did better and divorced less than those who shacked up before their engagement.

Ohio State concluded and this comes as no surprise, divorce is expensive. So expensive apparently that 15 percent of couples who separated had not commenced a divorce process within the first 10 years after breaking up.

A Norwegian study concluded that couples who share housework had a 50 percent higher risk of divorce! Put down those brooms gentlemen! However to understand why this was the case the researches concluded it was not the shared work as much as those who did share housework had more modern views of marriage. Apparently the modern view is that marriage is not a life long commitment. I still say husbands should put down those brooms for the sake of their marriage.

Men are more likely to drink after divorce. The University of Cincinnati concluded men tend to drink more after the split. Wives had tempered those urges while together. But a rather curious finding was that married women drank more than their divorced counterparts. Are men really that hard to live with?

Divorce is bad for your health. A Michigan State University study concluded that there was more long term damage to a person’s health if they divorce at a young age as opposed to being older. They believe that the older you are, the more developed your coping skills are.

The ultimate revenge? Researchers at the University of Florence found that men who cheat on their spouses were at an increased risk of heart attack. Yes they blame it on the older fellow trying to keep up with the younger lady.

Cold Feet? UCLA researchers conducted a 4 year study of married couples. For women who had some doubt before marriage, 18 percent had divorced as compared to 8 percent of the never had a doubt group. Men on the other hand, doubt or not, did not predict potential divorce.

What do you think of your In-Laws? Researchers at the University of Michigan found that husbands who had a good relationship with their in-laws decreased the risk of divorce by 20 percent. When the wife reported a good relationship with her in-laws, the risk of divorce increased 20 percent. The research shows that the wife eventually thought the in-laws were meddling too much in the relationship.

Finally some say it’s just part of your DNA. Researchers in Sweden have isolated an oxytocin receptor gene called A-allele which they have dubbed the anti commitment gene. Those who have it are less likely to marry or stay married than those without.