Transcript 13 Adult years

Adult years
Cohabitation (Living Together)
 How does it affect your chances of divorce if you marry?
 How long do they last compared to marriages?
 Is living together the same as being married?
 Why or why not?
Cohabitation agreements & Prenuptial
agreements
What does it take to keep a marriage
together?
 Closeness
 Individual independence
 The Prophet
 Like the willow tree, when you bend, you do not break
 Accept each other’s differences, and try to work around
them.
What does it take to keep a marriage
together? (Cont.)
 Help the other person achieve their dreams.
 Fight the world, but never each other.
 Be there during critical times.
 Remember special days
 Birthdays, anniversaries
 Be sensitive to when your partner needs a hug.
Gottman’s best predictors of marital
satisfaction
 Moments of support, kindness, passion & mutual pleasure far
outweigh moments of disgust, criticism, defensiveness and
anger.
 “Any fool can condemn and criticize … and most fools do.”
 Do not yell at your life’s partner unless the house is on fire.
Divorce
 Increasing due to reduced social stigma, increased economic
independence of women, liberal divorce laws.
 Emotional impact
 Similar to the death of a spouse
 Most frequently cited reasons for divorce?
 Are divorce rates lower for second marriages?
Extramarital sex
 Reasons?
 Effects?
Aging and hormone replacement
therapy