Let's Talk Relationships (Page 32)

Can chronic illness negatively impact an individual’s relationships? A new study suggests just that. The study looked at 6,126 adults suffering from fibromyalgia, a chronic illness where individuals regularly, and randomly, experience pain and extreme tenderness throughout their entire body. Participants were asked to discuss the impact their illness had on their relationships, with an emphasis on their...

Here are the five relationship trends to look for in 2013. 1. Single parents next Internet dating trend. If 2012 was the year for the silver-haired to flock to online dating, I predict 2013 will be the year for single parents to meet and greet online. With 14 million time-strapped single mothers raising one in four American kids, and plenty more single dads doing the same thing, the Internet is a convenient,...

Women are contributing more than ever to their household’s income, says new data, and experts believe this trend will only increase over the coming years. This data comes from the the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire and the U.S. census, which found that between 2008 and 2009, women’s contributions to their household’s income increased from 45% to 47%, which happens to be the biggest one-year jump...

Have you struggled in your efforts to snag a decent, quality guy for a dating relationship? Do you tend to be drawn to the same types of men over and over and become frustrated when they disappoint or when it doesn’t materialize into a satisfying long-term arrangement? This is a very common phenomenon in dating difficulties, and it can become very easy to place the focus on the “other guy” for the reason behind a...

According to a new study, fertility cycles and sexual desire play a large role in relationship satisfaction for women. The study, which was published online in the journal Hormones and Behavior, consisted of 108 heterosexual women who were asked to rate how sexually attractive they found their partners (whom they had been with for an average of two years). Researchers also asked the women to rate how close they...

Do you Google dates before grabbing a drink with them? If you get into the habit of searching a date online after they ask you out, be warned — you might not like what you find. According to a recent study, nearly half of all online adults in the United States have searched for a romantic interest, whether that romantic interest was a current partner or someone they were simply curious about going out with. In...

Violent relationships may be more common among teenagers than we like to think, and the psychological and behavioral fallout from that violence appears to last for a significant amount of time. A new study published by Deinera Exner-Cortens in the Pediatrics journal looked at more than 5,000 teenagers in the United States and asked them whether or not they were in a violent relationship. Twenty percent of...

The role parents play in a child’s life may affect that child’s ability to commit to a relationship later in life, according to a study conducted in partnerships between Tel-Aviv and Columbia Universities. Researchers Dr. Sharon Dekel and professor Barry Farber surveyed 58 individuals between 22 and 28 years old, evaluating their dating histories and determining each individual’s reactions to their romantic...

Reader Question: My girlfriend of six to seven years and mother of my two daughters (3 years and 7 months) broke up with me for three years. During a drop in our relationship status, I had another child from a very old good friend/ex-girlfriend. It’s been three years since the situation. I did everything to show I’m still in love with her. Then we had our newest daughter, the 7-month-old, with me thinking this...

Reader Question: In my 70s and dating a man in his 70s. We do not live together. I'm going to Florida with him in his car. He would be going down alone anyway. Should I pay for some of the travel expenses? How does traveling together work? Who pays what? -Louise (New York) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Dear Louise, Excellent question, young lady. Times have changed, but your man may be of the generation who...

Why do women fake orgasms? Is it to quickly end dissatisfying sexual experiences, or could faking an orgasm serve a higher purpose? A recent study from Columbia University indicates women who fake orgasms do so as a larger pattern of behavior related to mate retention. The study looked at the behavior patterns of 453 heterosexual women (average age of 22) who were in long-term relationships (average duration of...

Traditional gender roles may be more popular among young people these days than you might think. That’s the news based on a recent study conducted by University of California, Santa Cruz researcher Rachael Robnett. Robnett surveyed 277 of her heterosexual classmates and found two-thirds of them stated they would “definitely” want the man to propose. On the other end of the spectrum, not one participant, male or...

A recent study suggested having sex within the first few weeks of a relationship can cause harm to the relationship over the long term. The study was produced by Brigham Young University (a private university owned and operated by the LDS Church) and looked at general relationship satisfaction, communication levels and the stability of the pairing. Surveying 11,000 unmarried individuals in serious relationships,...

Who lays down the law in the average household — the man or the woman? While cultural stereotypes suggest men are more likely to make decisions in their personal relationships, a new study indicates women hold more sway than many may believe. To determine who calls the shots in the household, the Pew Research Center surveyed 1,260 individuals who live with their romantic partner, asking them whether they or their...

A number of recently published studies confirm what many have suspected for years — when couples engage in physical activity together, they strengthen their relationship while also improving each partner’s personal health. Not only is physical activity a factor within many successful relationships, the research suggests it’s easier to maintain a physically active lifestyle when that lifestyle is shared with a...

Reader Question: I have been dating a man for almost four months and he has a male roommate. He informed me last night that his roommate’s girlfriend of one month wants to move in with them. I let him know I am uncomfortable with that happening. Mostly I have a problem with her doing their laundry, cooking meals for them both and the conversations they would share. Am I a jealous person? Is it normal to not want...

Reader Question: My woman gets nuts, like super totally crazy with rage and anger, every morning between 7 and 9. Most of the rest of the day she is sweet, sometimes going overboard to be super sweet. This has been happening over the past year or so. She is in her mid-40s. What is your read on this? -Earl (California) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Dear Morning Punching Bag, Your lady rails at sunrise....

At this time of fast-paced life with technology moving faster than the human body and mind, slow movements are emerging all over the world. First came the Slow Food Movement, which strives to stop mass high-tech agriculture and return to locally grown foods, family dinners and healthful tables. The slow movement then expanded to travel and design, advocating a cultural shift toward slowing life’s pace. And in...

It takes women more than just a couple blind dates to find a man to settle down with, according to a new study. The dating website UKDating.com recently conducted a study where they surveyed 2,173 women on their dating lives. Among the interesting facts derived from the study, UKdating.com found the average woman will date 24 different men before she finds “Mr. Right.”   "The average British woman spends...

Does living with your partner before marriage increase or decrease the chances you will be together for the long haul? Previous research suggested moving in before marriage often leads to breakups or a marriage ending in divorce, but a new study calls this research into question. The study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family by Manning and Cohen, finds moving in before marriage may not be the problem....

Support for same-sex marriage has doubled in the last 15 years, though it still falls clearly along political and religious lines. The most recent Gallup poll, conducted earlier this year (May 3-6), found 50 percent of Americans stated they support legalization of same-sex marriage, compared with just 26 percent from the first time Gallup asked this question (in 1996). The percentage of Americans supporting...

Though popular culture will have you believing it’s almost a social law that men don’t like their wife’s family, in reality, that’s not always the case. Some men get along with their in-laws much better than others, and a husband’s choice to develop that relationship dramatically decreases the chance of a divorce, according to a study. The results of the study couldn’t have been any more conclusive. Starting in...

Only one out of three individuals with depression seek the help they need, a number that may be improved by increased partner intervention. That’s according to research conducted by psychiatrist Dr. Mark S. Komrad, MD, who has been looking at the connection between depression and relationship partners. Komrad links the low percentage of depressed individuals actually seeking help to cultural concerns surrounding...

Lately it seems as though Americans are doing a whole lot of hooking up and cohabitating and a lot less tying the knot. Fewer couples are getting married, and those who do marry are doing so later. What’s going on? Has marriage become old-fashioned and out of date? The D-word. One huge factor that prevents many young couples from getting married is the D-word: Divorce. In a recent study at Cornell University,...

How soon you have sex with a potential partner may have consequences down the line. At least that’s the news coming from a new study conducted and released through research funded by Brigham Young University’s School of Family Life and Family Studies Center. The study looked at the sex and dating patterns of 2,035 heterosexual couples with an average age of 36 years old and who were currently married (for the...

A new study finds that children raised by female same-sex couples fare just as well as children raised within a heterosexual household. The study comes out of NYU and reviews and synthesizes all available research (about 80 relevant subjects) conducted on the subject of two partnered women raising children together. Their findings encompass both academic achievement and delinquent behavior, finding children raised...

Celebrities are like a different species. They live their life in the spotlight, get chased down by paparazzi and have every little aspect of their daily life scrutinized. So what happens when a celebrity is in a relationship with another celebrity and something goes awry? Should they be looked at as role models? Should the public try to learn from them or even follow their lead? Let’s take a look at some of...

A new study out of Australia suggests seniors represent the fastest growing demographic signing up for online dating. The study was undertaken by Swinburne University Ph.D. candidate Sue Malta, who conducts research related to the romantic lives of seniors. Malta says her research has shown that seniors are not only far more likely to be active Internet users than they were five years ago, but seniors increasingly...

It seems to be the biggest dilemma in dating today. With no hard-and-fast social rules, men and women are on their own to determine when is the best time to introduce a physical component to their budding love relationship. The good news is that we are living in a time where a groundswell of data is exploding from university social science departments. And that research is demonstrating that, while there are no...

Reader Question: I was with a man five years on and off. We lived together at one point. He lies to everyone about a drinking problem, which he's in AA for. At the end, he spent less time with me. He could never have a conversation about our relationship. I’m wondering if he did love me? -Theresa (New York) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Oh, Theresa, my stomach fell when I read your raw and honest question. “Did...