The science of happy long term relationships
October 30, 2014 2:17 PM   Subscribe

What's current research say about what factors go into making a happy long-term relationship? In particular, I recently heard of some studies suggesting that couples who spend oodles of time together and are basically each other's best friends may be less likely to be happy than couples with separate hobbies, friends, etc. However, I can't seem to actually *find* any of those studies...anyone know of these?
posted by sirion to Science & Nature (5 answers total) 23 users marked this as a favorite
 
The researchers you want are John and Julie Gottman. Famous for their Love Lab, and their piles of data.
posted by bilabial at 2:39 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]


I found this WSJ article describing what you seem to be talking about. It identifies Dr. Terri Orbuch as a key source for the idea, but doesn't point to any specific studies. A quick search shows that she's published a lot, so you might want to start looking there.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:42 PM on October 30, 2014


The study that stuck in my mind is the one that said it's how a couple fights (deals with conflict) that determines their longevity.
posted by mmiddle at 6:44 PM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]


Benjamin Lee at Haverford College has focused on the psychology of close relationships. His school page might lead you down some interesting paths, or check out his site, The Science of Relationships.
posted by troytroy at 7:47 PM on October 30, 2014


This short Ted talk is casual and reports statistics on happy marriages. I found it to be very entertaining and remember the odd bit even from listening years ago like people who smiled in childhood photos are more likely to be in a happy marriage and women who win an Oscar for best actress are not. There are also more serious summaries of research mentioned above. (Available as video or just audio.)
posted by RoadScholar at 5:05 AM on October 31, 2014


« Older Where should I publish my fixed layout ebook?   |   Freely Accessible Etymology Database? Or tools to... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.