Satisfaction tends to decline over time in most romantic relationships, but the rate is much steeper in those that end in break up, when satisfaction falls to about 65% of the maximum possible score, the threshold at which dissatisfaction becomes too great to maintain the relationship.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspp0000492

From the linked article:

A large longitudinal study of romantic relationships found that relationship satisfaction tends to decline over time, but the decrease is sharper in relationships that eventually break up compared to those that endure. The study also identified a “critical value” for relationship dissolution. The research was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Romantic relationships are a central aspect of most people’s lives. Individuals in fulfilling relationships tend to live longer, be healthier, and experience overall better well-being. This is why most people strive to establish and maintain fulfilling romantic relationships—relationships that bring them happiness.

However, studies indicate that satisfaction in romantic relationships tends to systematically decline over the course of life. Some relationships end in dissolution, often those where satisfaction has declined more than usual. After ending a relationship, many individuals start a new one with a different partner. However, this new relationship may also follow the same general pattern of declining satisfaction.

The researchers analyzed data from the Longitudinal Study of Generations, a multi-generational research project that tracks the attitudes, behaviors, and family dynamics of over 2,000 individuals from southern California across four generations. The study focuses on how family relationships, aging, and social changes influence well-being and personal development over time. It began in 1971 with three-generation families, and a fourth generation was included in 1991. The most recent data collection was in 2005.

The study found that relationship satisfaction tends to decline over time in most relationships, but the rate of decline is much steeper in relationships that eventually end in separation. At the beginning of a relationship, couples that will later separate already report lower levels of satisfaction compared to those in relationships that will last.

Over time, this gap widens significantly, with couples headed for separation experiencing a much sharper drop in satisfaction. The study suggested that couples tend to separate when their relationship satisfaction falls to about 65% of the maximum possible score. This threshold marks a critical point at which dissatisfaction becomes too great to maintain the relationship.

For those who began new relationships after a breakup, the study revealed that satisfaction levels were higher at the start of the new relationship than at the beginning of the previous one. However, this initial boost in satisfaction does not last indefinitely. Just like in their previous relationships, satisfaction in new relationships declines over time.

Several factors were found to influence how satisfaction changes in relationships, especially in those that dissolve. Individuals with children in the household tended to be less satisfied with their relationship. In addition, younger couples were more likely to experience sharper declines in satisfaction over time compared to older couples.

Interestingly, the time between relationships was also related to how satisfied people felt in their new relationships. Those who took longer between relationships generally reported higher satisfaction in their new relationships, while those who started new relationships more quickly tended to experience lower satisfaction.

I wonder what outlier data looks like here. Like a relationship where satisfaction only grew. Or a couple who were very dissatisfied but didn’t break up.

Why on earth are these people being paid to tell us “if you end up breaking up with someone, you’re not as happy as someone who is still in a relationship, with no breakup in the foreseeable future”?

I swear, an alarming amount of studies now are about ridiculously obvious things.