Can You Predict if a Marriage Will be Satisfactory?
Yes, say social scientists and clinicians. They have come up with a number of factors that predict a satisfying marriage. These factors have been arranged to form a triangle, of sorts. And guess what they call the triangle. The Marriage triangle.
Irrespective of how plain the name is, The Marriage Triangle actually makes sense. The three bases (sides) in the triangle have been identified as:
- Individual traits
- Couple traits
- Personal and relationship contexts
These terms are self-explanatory. Individual traits are a result of an individual’s upbringing, society, beliefs, and values. These traits also consist of soft skills. Couple traits are not so simple to comprehend. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) describes couple traits in the following words:
couple communication and conflict resolution skills, degree of acquaintance (how long and how well the couple has known each other), similarity of values and goals (positive factors), and living together as a trial marriage (negative factor).
AAMFT says that the third factor, personal and relationship contexts, include
family background characteristics such as previous marriages, existing children, the quality of an individual’s parents’ marriage, family relationship quality, age at marriage, and parents’ and friends’ approval of the relationship.
Ideally, these factors can really help predict the future of a marriage, but these factors change and evolve over time; they are never constant. Thus, the satisfaction level in a marriage is likely to vary over time.
Related Posts
- Marriage Counseling Goes Private
- Relationship Skills Are Not Inborn
- When Should You Seek Marriage Counseling?
- The History of Alcoholism in a Marriage
- A Better, Healthier Marriage
