Dr. John Gottman, a renowned psychologist, teacher, author and relationship expert, shared one of the clearest signs that a marriage may be at risk. Gottman, who is also founder of the Gottman Institute and has conducted one of the largest and longest-running studies on relationships, noted that certain behaviors can anticipate whether a relationship is doomed to fail.
In a , the expert answered a key question, “Can you predict divorce – what do you observe in a couple, and what is the scientific … people have a ratio of less than five positive interactions for every one negative one, it is a good predictor of divorce,” he detailed.
In a healthy relationship, the ideal is to compensate for the negative with at least five positive gestures.
This principle is called the “balance theory. The Gottman Institute clarifies that positive interactions can be simple things like smiling, asking a kind question or saying “I love you,” while negative ones include arguments or criticism.
“If you do something negative that hurts your partner, you have to make up for it with five positive things,” Gottman explained …