Decades ago, a famous social psychologist in Missouri conducted an experiment that would change the way researchers thought about divorce forever.
The researcher took random people off the street and asked these people to observe couples through a one-way glass mirror. The volunteers could see the couples, but the couples could not see them. The volunteers observed the couples for just a few minutes, and then, based on the interactions they saw, rated whether they felt the couples would stay together or get divorced.
The researchers tallied those judgments and tracked the couples over years. Astonishingly, volunteers got it right well over 80% of the time. In other words, random people looking in on a couple — and observing them for only a few minutes — had a very precise and accurate track record of predicting divorces.
What does that mean? What can that research and other research tell us about which couples stay together and which couples split?
The answers to these questions are crucial. In the next few posts, we are going to dive deeper into the science to understand the phenomenon of relationship longevity.
In the meanwhile, if you have questions about your separation or other family law issue, call the Dinnebier & Demmerle team to schedule a consultation with our seasoned attorneys.