Divorce doesn't necessarily make adults happy. But toughing it out in an unhappy marriage until it turns around just might do, a new study says.
The research identified happy and unhappy spouses. culled (选出 ) from a national database. Of the unhappy partners who divorced. about half were happy five years later. But unhappy spouses who stuck it out often did better. About two-thirds were happy five years later. Study results contradict what seems to be common sense, says David Blankenhorn of the Institute for American Values, a think-tank on the family. The institute helped sponsor the research leam based at the University of Chicago. Findings will be presented in Arlington, Va.. at the "Smart Marriage" conference. sponsored by the Coalition for Marriage. Families and Couples Education.
The study looked at data on 5,232 married adults from the National Survey of Families and Households. It included .64.5 who were unhappy. The adults in the national sample were analyzed through 13 measures of psychological well being. Within the five years, 167 of the unhappy were divorced or separated and 478 stayed married.
Divorce didn't reduce symptoms of depression, raise self-esteem or increase sense of mastery compared with those who stayed married, the report says.
Results were controlled for factors including race, age, gender and income. Staying married did not tend to trap unhappy spouses in violent relationships. What helped the unhappy married turn things around? To supplement the formal study data, the research team asked professional firms to recruit focus groups totaling 55 adults who were "marriage survivors". All had moved from unhappy to happy marriages. These 55 once-discontented married felt their unions got better via one of three routes, the report says:
Marital endurance. "Wich time, job situations improved, children got older or better. or chronic ongoing problems got put into new perspective." Partners did not work on their marriages.
Marital work. Spouses actively worked "to solve problems, change behavior of improve communication".
Personal change. Partners found "alternative ways to improve their own happiness and build a good and happy life despite a mediocre marriage." In effect the unhappy partner changed.
【测试题】
1. According to David Blankenhorn. people commonly believe that________.
A) divorce is a better solution to an unhappy marriage than staying together
B) divorce is not necessarily the only solution to an unhappy marriage
C) keeping an unhappy marriage needs much courage and endurance
D) to end an unhappy marriage or not is a tough decision for the spouses
2. Which of the following is true about the research under discussion?
A) It was conducted by che Institute for the American Values headed by David Blankenhorn.
B) It was sponsored by the Coalition for Marriage, Families and Couples Education.
C) Its subjects were chosen from a national database based at the University of Chicago.
D) Its report will be included in the schedule of the "Smart Marriage"conference.
3. The 13 measures of psychological well-being are used to_______.
A) serve as the standards for choosing the subjects of the research
B) serve as the ways to help adults to get over their unhappy marriage
C) examine all the 5232 married adults
D) examine all the adults in the database
4. The author's attitude towards divorce may best be described as ________".
A) critical B) impersonal C) arbitrary D) scornful
5. According to the report, chose unhappily-wedded may not survive their marriage by_______.
A) waiting for the living conditions to get improved
B) achieving children’s understanding
C) changing their own attitude towards mediocre marriages
D) working on their problems and strengthening communication
答案见下一页
