Marriage Satisfaction Decline
Jasbina Ahluwalia asks Ty Tashiro, author of The Science of Happily Ever After: What Really Matters in the Quest for Enduring Love: What are some of the most shocking things that you discovered through your research?
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Ty Tashiro
There are always surprises. Some of the initial things that shock you have to do with the bad news in relationships.
One of the surprising things was how sharp the decline is in relationship satisfaction and relationship happiness early on in a marriage.
Marriage Satisfaction Decline: Years 3-4
Between years three and four in a marriage, you get a really sharp drop off in satisfaction. People lose about eight percentage points in that one year.
Marriage Satisfaction Decline: Years 7-8
Again, from years seven to eight, there is another big drop off. There is about 9% decrease in marital satisfaction during that year.
The median length marriage in the United States is only seven years.
I think it was those dramatic changes early on in marriage and also the brevity with which a marriage lasts these days that initially got my attention.
Marriage Satisfaction Decline: Positive Points
There are a number of other things that can happen that are positive that can surprise you as well.
One of the things that surprised me were in studies of bereavement.
Couples had been happily married for decades on end. Researchers would ask them, “What is it that you miss the most about your relationship and your partner?”
Marriage Satisfaction Decline: Miss Daily Routine
It wasn’t anything too spectacular. People would say that they missed driving together to work in the morning. He missed that he knew she took two lumps of sugar in her coffee.
It was these tiny daily activities that we sometimes take for granted that are some of the best things.
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Tell Us:
Marriage satisfaction decline is pertinent in society. Have you experienced this in your relationship? Share your experiences with us in the comments section below.
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The above is an excerpt from Jasbina’s interview with Ty Tashiro
The entire interview transcript is at: Ty Tashiro Interview – What Really Matters in the Quest for Enduring Love
Listen to the entire interview on: Intersections Match Talk Radio – Jasbina’s Lifestyle Show
Listen to the entire interview on Blog Talk Radio: The Science Of Happily Ever After – Ty Tashiro
Listen to the entire interview on iTunes
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