Will your marriage last or end in divorce? Here is a very fast way to tell.
The study: Led by social psychology researchers Irene Tsapelas and Arthur Aron of Stony Brook University in New York, the team interviewed 123 married couples seven years into their marriage and again nine years later after 16 years of marriage. As part of the year seven interview, couples were asked: "During the past month, how often did you feel that your marriage was in a rut (or getting into a rut), that you do the same thing all the time and rarely get to do exciting things together as a couple?"
Can infidelity add fizz to a flat marriage? Find out who thinks so and why.
The results: The key finding was that those who were bored with their marriage at year seven experienced a greater decrease in satisfaction at year 16, while those who were not bored at year seven experienced a typically small decrease in satisfaction at year 16. Researchers also found that lower satisfaction at year seven did not lead to increased boredom over the next nine years. This is the first study to provide direct evidence of a significant long-term negative effect of marital boredom.
Women: Find out the 11 "don't-tell-the-wife" secrets most men keep!
Boredom does something else, too. Being bored reduces a couple's closeness, and this reduced closeness is what, in turn, causes the reduced satisfaction. "It is not enough for couples to be free of problems and conflicts," notes Aron. "The take-home message of this research is that to maintain high levels of marital quality over time, couples also need to make their lives together exciting."
Men: Find out the 11 "don't-tell-the-husband" secrets most women keep!
What can couples do to fight boredom? Do activities together that are new and challenging. Aron recommends married couples have a date night every week during which they do something together that they have never or rarely done before--something that is not only enjoyable, but also exciting. The study findings were published in the journal Psychological Science.
