The Greatest Predictors Of Divorce: Lack Of Commitment, Infidelity, And Domestic Abuse

With the dockets full of divorce cases, a number of research universities and sociologists have conducted various studies on divorce giving us some prime indicators of when and why it occurs. According to a study conducted by Samantha Joel et al. in 2020, a spouse’s relationship satisfaction can be measured by how committed we think our partner is to the relationship. The study asked 12,000 couples how satisfied and committed they felt their partners were in their relationship and how much they felt appreciated by their partner.

According to the results of this study, the greatest predictor of a happy marriage (45 percent of respondents) is the belief that our partner is committed and invested in us and in the marriage itself. The study indicated that even slight feelings of non-commitment (in which one partner feels more committed than the other) can predict unhappiness in a marriage.

“It’s not who you’re with but the dynamic you have with them” 

That was the primary takeaway from the study. Your experience of your relationship determines how much satisfaction you have in the relationship. The study researchers examined a large number of variables classifying them into three groups:

• Partner 1’s perception of the relationship
• Partner 2’s perception of the relationship
• Partner 1’s and Partner 2’s individual characteristics

The first two categories include measures of elements such as affection, appreciation, conflict, empathy, aggression, sexual satisfaction, and supportiveness, along with other characteristics, like living together, marriage, duration of the relationship, and more. The third category included characteristics of individuals such as personality factors, anxiety, attachment, alcohol use, family history, and demographic characteristics.

What mattered most? 

Across all of the elements that were studied, the top five variables that explained the most variance for both present and future relationship satisfaction were:

• Perceived partner commitment (ranked at the top of the list)
• Appreciation
• Sexual satisfaction
• Perceived partner satisfaction
• Conflict

The study forces us to ask ourselves whether or not we see our partners as highly committed to us and the relationship. It also forces us to ask whether or not we appreciate our partners, and whether we’re sexually satisfied in the relationship. These were major elements that the study indicated were expositive of relationship satisfaction.

What does it all mean?

Ultimately, relationship satisfaction is all in your head. It boils down to how committed or non-committed you believe your partner to be. According to the study, “These results are consistent with the idea that people project their own relationship perceptions and behaviors onto their partners.” This means we not only perceive, but we perceive what our spouse is perceiving, and whether or not this meshes with our own standard of commitment. In cases where it does, it significantly lowered relationship satisfaction.

Talk to an Orlando, FL Divorce Lawyer Today 

Greater Orlando Family Law represents the interests of Orlando residents who are pursuing a divorce in the state of Florida. Call our Orlando divorce lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your next steps right away.

Source:

ifstudies.org/blog/what-a-groundbreaking-study-on-43-data-sets-reveals-about-relationship-satisfaction