(STUDY FINDS) — KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — “Happily ever after” certainly sounds nice in stories and fairytales, but when it comes to real-life relationships and marriages, it is pretty much impossible to avoid the occasional fight or argument. That’s right, even happily married couples who have been together for decades still argue every so often, but a new study finds that the topics married couples choose to argue about can make all the difference.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee say happily and unhappily married couples tend to stress about the same common issues: finances, lack of romance, in-laws, etc. The difference between a happy and an unhappy couple, though, is how they choose to address those concerns among one another.
“Happy couples tend to take a solution-oriented approach to conflict, and this is clear even in the topics that they choose to discuss,” comments lead author Amy Rauer, associate professor of child and family studies at the university, in a release.
