“A researcher believes he can predict the outcome of most any marriage with a few squiggles on a chart. John Gottman said a 20-year study involving more than 600 married couples shows by carefully plotting how a husband and wife interact and then reducing those observations to a formula, researchers can tell which marriages will succeed and which are heading for the rocks. In a report at the national meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Gottman said studies by his Relationship Research Institute and the University of Washington show how couples resolve differences is a key factor in whether a marriage will last. The methods used by couples for conflict resolution can be expressed mathematically or on a simple graphic to predict how the marriage will endure. In effect, math has now found a place in love and marriage, he said.” Via
Lockergnome.