A recent article by the eminent relationship theorist Blaine Fowers in the Journal of Personal and Social Relationships has taken on one corner of the enormous question “Is what we believe about relationships based on research within our culture relevant to marriage in other cultures?”

While some new moms experience decreases in relationship satisfaction during the transition to motherhood, others remain stable or even improve. New research shows that the length of the relationship may act as a buffer against the new stress that a newborn brings.

So much to do, so little time. When multiple priorities collide, it is often difficult to find the right balance between work and family life. In the nationally representative survey of Household Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA), researchers discovered more about factors that influenced work-life balance.

A recent article by a team of researchers showing that the happiest marriages are those in which the male is less attractive than the female has received a lot of attention in the press of late. People appear to be fascinated by the finding that relationships where a panel of objective observers rated the husband as less attractive than the wife appeared to be “happier” than relationships where the spouses were either similar or, even worse, where the husband was more attractive!

As anyone who has even a passing acquaintance with Bridget Jones Diary or any novel by Nick Hornby is no doubt aware, the English have problems with romance. This is somewhat ironic from the “I know this isn’t literally irony, but what else do you call something that seems contrary to what you would expect?” and American male point of view

Men and women with similar sexual experiences tend to form relationships together.

A lot of research points to the idea that having a child will inevitably take a toll on your marriage. But the questions remain: Are changes in satisfaction a direct result of having a child? Are there other factors to consider besides the birth of a child in explaining satisfaction declines? Find out these answers and more.

Two of the most widely published and well respected researchers in relationship science got together to review what psychological science knows about love. As it turns out, according to Drs. Henry Reis and Arthur Aron, “a uniquely psychological perspective on love can be identified.” Here are a few of the highlights they point out.

A new study out of Australia finds that depressed women are more likely to be engaging in sex and sexual activity than their mentally well counterparts. So why aren’t they happy?

Staying in a bad relationship isn’t good for anyone. From the standpoint of promoting family cohesion as a panacea for child welfare, there is pretty compelling evidence that it’s the emotional content of a relationship that matters, not the label that can be applied to it.

There are many reasons to stay in a relationship, because you love the other person, because you promised, because you are financially dependent on one another, or because of the kids. But what if the love faded, would you leave? Feeling constrained in your relationship may lead you to engage in fewer negative behaviors with your partner. Read more about this complex relationship.

Do old dogs learn new tricks? Can husbands learn how to clean the house, spend meaningful time with the kids, and do their own laundry? I say it would take a miracle, but sociology says change is already underway.

A recent publication by Terra Schmooker and Krisanne Bursik in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships has highlighted the important role that a belief in the positive value of monogamy may have in predicting relationship success. Too bad no one sent a copy of this to French President Nicolas Sarkozy!

It’s long been known that aspects of your personality can affect the quality of your relationships. Highly neurotic people, for example, are more likely to have negative relationship quality. In a recent study, researchers find that sexual satisfaction mediates this relationship between neuroticism and marital satisfaction. Find out how.