Is Divorce Really Contagious? By Rae777 on - Updated Oct 15, 2011
Imagine my surprise when I read a story on a credible news website about how some researchers at leading universities conducted a study on whether divorce is contagious. What do you think were the results of the study? The results were that it is indeed contagious. In fact, according to some top universities like Harvard and Brown, when a friend, relative, or a coworker gets a divorce it can increase your chances of getting a divorce by 75%.
Some of the websites even cited celebrities as a good example of divorce being contagious. Should we actually put credence in celebrities who divorce two months after they marry?
Will a happy marriage crumble if you know people and associate with them while they are divorcing? Of course a happy marriage will not crumble. The reason you get a divorce is because you are in an abusive relationship or you have fallen out of love. I think another reason people are getting divorces at such a high rate is because couples rush into getting married too quickly. I am always surprised to hear a young person in their late teens talking about getting married and then a friend will chime in that they want to marry soon also. Does that mean marriage is contagious?
Will the effect of seeing a friend/relative/coworker divorce have any effect on someone in a bad marriage? There is a slight possibility that a husband or wife might decide that their marriage is so bad they might as well divorce too. However, are you going to base your final decision on that? I don't think people are that irrational. I do not know anyone who has divorced simply because someone else was getting a divorce.
I think researchers at Harvard and Brown jumped to conclusions on why people divorce. I feel people have a tendency to rush into marriage with out getting to know each other well and that is why divorce rates are high.
This article is written based on my opinion and is not based on any "study" I did. You can read more on the subject by going to Google and enter "is divorce contagious" or at CNN.
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This is an important article. I think people do not divorce because it is fashion. Something so painful and heart breaking cannot be decided over your anyone else's decision. And Love is an amazing thing - it gets you going amidst all odds. Having said this, I totally agree with you there - people are rushing in to marriages too early in lives even before knowing the person they are getting married to.
Have been married for 45 years, some great loving years and some very hard working years, today i think it's just to easy to get a divorce. Have heard at weddings " if it doesn't work oh well"..
This is scary... but there are too many variables in play that require consideration. I'm not sure how I feel about personal experiences with a loved ones divorce effecting my own. Both my wife and I have dealt with members of our family going through divorce and it has definitely impacted us and the decisions we've made and who we are in one way or another.. I'm just not sure how. Interesting article. Thank you.
I just saw a story on this subject today on I think the view where they said if you are in a group of friends who have either been divorced or are getting divorced, you are more likely to. They said it's because no one in a group likes to be the first one to do it.
I will have to look up the article; I'm curious to know how they come up with their control group and how they compare it with other people. It seems like your happiness in a marriage is too subjective for generalized statistics. In my case, having friends divorce has only reinforced the happiness I have in my own marriage. Interesting topic!