The Psychology of Everyday Life:Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage

Divorce

What kind of relationship problems contribute to divorce?

Lack of warmth and affection and poor conflict management in a marriage increase the likelihood of divorce. It is not so much the amount of conflict that puts a marriage at risk. Rather it is the nature of conflict. As mentioned above in the section on marriage, a 1993 study of marital interaction by John Gottman found that couples who displayed high levels of defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling, and criticism, as well as facial expressions of disgust were more likely to end up separated or divorced several years later.



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