Research on What Works

There are many studies nowdays about how to prevent divorces. Some of the surveys show:

There are many studies providing ever-greater illumination of the causes or precursors of marital failure. Effective preventive interventions will, no doubt, address factors that are associated with increased risk in ways designed to lower those risks.

Survey Research

Some key studies tell us what couples think are the most important dimensions for helping them to build stronger marriages from the outset.In an important, large sample survey recently conducted in the Catholic Church, couples were asked many questions about their premarital preparation experiences. When asked what content areas were most helpful, the top three rankings went to the three "C's" of

communication (73.5% rated as helpful),
commitment (70.4% rated as helpful),
conflict resolution (67.2% rated as helpful;

Center for Marriage and Family, 1995.

Rated significantly lower were topics such as personality issues, finances, background compatibility, and career issues. The research from the Center for Marriage and Family at Creighton University also found that couples rated high for usefulness such topics as the role of religion and values, children, and the sacraments.

Many other topics were rated as useful, but the top six reflected the central role of the topics of communication, conflict, and a number of dimensions that one could say reflect the "bigger meanings" of things.

So, make sure the couples we marry have discussed the major issues in life like love, child rearing and faith. Also make sure they know how to resolve differences and conflicts. That makes for much better marriages.