SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) – Living happily ever after needn't only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it's a lot more than just being in love.
A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.
The study, entitled "What's Love Got to Do With It," tracked nearly 2,500 couples -- married or living together -- from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.
It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.
Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.
Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.
A couple's parents also have a role to play in their own relationship, with the study showing some 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.
Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90 percent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
Not surprisingly, money also plays a role, with up to 16 percent of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband -- not the wife -- was unemployed saying they had separated, compared with only nine percent of couples with healthy finances.
And couples where one partner, and not the other, smokes are also more likely to have a relationship that ends in failure.
Factors found to not significantly affect separation risk included the number and age of children born to a married couple, the wife's employment status and the number of years the couple had been employed.
The study was jointly written by Dr Rebecca Kippen and Professor Bruce Chapman from The Australian National University, and Dr Peng Yu from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Michael Stars
Uslu Airlines
Blue Wax
Makes sense, marriage isn't a romance it's life long cohabitation...reality matters. Modern relationships are vulnerable to divorce cause we expect to me super happy and in love (not to confuse in love with loving someone), most of out parents and grandparents didn't have that expectation. The best they thought they would strive for was someone who they were compatible with in life style and that they found attractive. You've found the golden ticket if you can get it all in one person.
1From the office of "Community Service and Indigenous Affairs"...Do we have one of those, and if so, is that where our money is going?
Levity aside...I think the root is whether or not a couple shares the same wants, needs, desires, and expectations. It is shocking how many people do not know what their 4 essentials are--much less what their partner's essentials are and that is crucial for success. The "expectations" can vary greatly and many couples just don't have that conversation.
Without that conversation the relationship is like dating in high school---secret hopes often dashed by reality.
2Part of the reason why having children out of wedlock is bad... this article made me chuckle. it is all common sense.
3I don't think it's the wedding that makes the magical difference, I think it the conscious decision o have children with someone you're committed to that makes the difference versus having a kid on accident and then getting married because of it. Children add stress to the best relationships and anything short of that is like asking for it.
4This is interesting blue. I'd like to see more of their numbers and I'd also like it if they continued this study for another 15-20 years. That could be really interesting. I also would like to see the difference between those who are married and those who are cohabiting.
I would hope that the fact that "love" alone cannot sustain a marriage is common sense.
5>A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last,
Post hoc, ergo propter hoc.
6I found the original research paper here (for any research nerds like me) www.melbourneinstitute.com/conf/hildaconf2009/Papers/Session%202C/Kippen...
7Looks like an interesting read. The first part I skimmed seemed to indicate that couples that have children together are now divorcing with more frequency than they used to.
The article above, in my opinion, doesn't do the research paper justice. Which I suppose isn't surprising considering it's trying to summarize 23 pages. Still, I think it's important to distinguish between "factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last" and factors that influence the statistical likelihood of whether their marriage is going to last.
8Hainan's right...it's all common sense.
9I can believe this one. And it is common sense.
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