Bellevue Legal News: Seattle Divorce & Domestic Violence Lawyer

Study: Divorce More Likely If One Spouse Withdraws During Arguments

A new study released by the Journal of Marriage and Family in October focuses on how and when couples fight – and how that data could shed light on successful marriages and the divorce rate.

The study, which was conducted by family studies professor Kira Birditt at the University of Michigan, found that while the amount of fighting is not helpful in determining whether or not a couple will divorce, the way that each person approaches fighting can better tell us whether or not their union will last.

The study followed all of the couples who were married in Wayne County in 1986. Over the next 16 years, the couples were followed and interviewed regularly. Many of the interview questions regarded how a couple fought – for example, whether there was shouting, name-calling, or withdrawing during arguments. At the same time, both spouses were asked to reflect on their own behavior, such as whether or not they listened during arguments.

The findings showed that if two people in a couple argue in two different ways – or if one spouse fails to learn how to communicate effectively during a marriage, the couple may have a greater chance of divorce down the road. Couples in which both spouses learned over the years to be more calm and understanding had a better chance of sticking together.

Overall, 13.9% of couples divorced by the three-year mark, 29% had divorced by year seven and 46.1% were split by year 16.

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