Predicting the future of a relationship is difficult. But there are three signs that allow you to assess the strength of a couple: the time that two spend together, the frequency and strength of their conflicts.
Psychologist Brian Ogolsky described 4 relationship models based on them:
- Partner Oriented Partners spend a lot of time together and make sure the other is happy. Such couples are stable, conflicts in them are rare.
- Socially Involved Each of the partners has its own circle of contacts. Although the two may have little in common, their relationship is stable: communication outside the couple compensates for what the couple lacks.
- conflict Relationships are centered around disputes. Such couples can be stable if both partners do not dramatize disagreements and do not interrupt communication.
- dramatic Relationships are uneven, with ups and downs. Partners spend little time together and do not find ways to resolve conflicts. Such pairs are the least stable.
Journal of Marriage and Family, online publication, October 20, 2015.