Learning About Marriage from the Divorced

Questionnaire and interview data from 138 men and women who experienced divorce in the middle years give insight into the process of coming apart. It was found that conflict was not an important variable because there often was no communication whatsoever occurring between the couple. For the majority of the divorced couples, time spent together in pleasurable pursuits diminished with the years; the marriage was not examined nor found lacking until some crisis occurred in the middle years-usually the husband developing a relationship outside the marriage that provided the companionship, sharing and intimacy lacking in the marriage. Recommendations for young couples entering marriage today which can serve to enhance the relationship are drawn from the research.