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Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?
Justin A Lavner1, Thomas N Bradbury
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA. jlavner@ucla.edu
Summary
Even happy couples can divorce. Newlywed negative communication and emotion predict later divorce, even when relationship satisfaction is high initially. This highlights the importance of interpersonal exchange quality.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Divorce often follows prolonged marital unhappiness.
- However, some initially satisfied couples also divorce, necessitating identification of unique risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify early marital risk factors differentiating initially satisfied couples who divorce from those who remain married.
- To understand predictors of divorce in couples with sustained high relationship satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 136 couples with stable high satisfaction in the first 4 years of marriage.
- Comparison of divorcing vs. non-divorcing couples at 10-year follow-up using measures of commitment, communication, stress, and personality.
Main Results:
- Divorcing couples exhibited more negative communication, emotion, and social support as newlyweds.
- No significant differences were found in commitment, relationship satisfaction, or positive behaviors.
- Interpersonal exchange quality emerged as a key differentiator.
Conclusions:
- Sustained high marital satisfaction early on does not guarantee long-term stability.
- Poorly regulated interpersonal exchanges, particularly negative communication and emotion, are risk factors for later divorce, even in strong marriages.
- The strengths of these couples may mask underlying vulnerabilities, complicating intervention efforts.
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