Divorce Prediction and Prevention

Other researchers have expanded upon existing research to pinpoint personality types that may be prone to divorce. Dr. Laura Berman, a professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University, outlines several personality archetypes that are likely to cause considerable conflict with a spouse. The self-sacrificing “Pleaser,” the argumentative “One-Upper,” the distant “Avoider,” and the dramatic “Catastrophizer” are all at risk for unhappy marriages (Berman, 2008). The upside to Dr. Berman’s assessment is that people who do have these traits can work to improve them.

The wealth of knowledge about divorce prediction that has been generated in the past few decades is a major advancement for the field of marriage therapy. Though the efficacy of marital counseling has been called into question many times, two types of treatment have been shown to work better than no treatment at all. Both BMT (Behavioral Marriage Therapy) and EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) essentially work with couples to change destructive patterns of behavior and are supported by empirical data (Liddle et al., 2002, p. 108). BMT and EFT are widely recognized as the most effective forms of treatment, and their success indicates that modern research is on the right track. Behavior-oriented treatment has seen significantly more success than the traditional psychodynamic approach, which focuses on the early childhood experiences and subconscious state of each partner separately (Erickson, 2005).

Now that research has been able to point out which specific patterns of behavior are warning signs of divorce, innovations in treatment can be made. Merging the well-researched and empirically validated methods of BMT and EFT with data on divorce prediction may open up promising new possibilities for treatment. Hopefully the work of Gottman and those like him will result in a trend towards more effective and practical therapy that can salvage the marriages that still have a chance.

References:

Brody, J. E. (1992). To Predict Divorce, Ask 125 Questions. The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com

Berman, L. (2008). Is your personality ruining your relationship? Retrieved February 27, 2008 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22998476/

Erickson, G., Gifford, J. & Spane, C. (2005). Explanations of Therapy Styles and Theoretical Orientations. Finding Stone Counseling Center, Arizona

Gottman, J. M. (1999). The marriage clinic: A scientifically based marital therapy. New York: W. W. Norton.

Lehman, J. D. (2005). Understanding Marriage, Family, and Intimate Relationships. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas.

Liddle, H. A., Santisteban, D. A., Levant, R. F., & Bray, J. H. (Eds.). (2002). Family Psychology: Science-based interventions. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Niolon, R. (2005). Gottman’s Sound Marital House Model. Retrieved February 27, 2008 from http://www.psychpage.com/family/library/gottman.html

The Gottman Institute (2004). Retrieved March 5, 2008 from http://www.gottman.com