Relationships in the UK : Some Things Change, Some Stay The Same

Released on: September 27, 2010, 4:00 am
Author: Jane Smith
Industry: Entertainment

London, 2010: Casting one's mind back to the "good old days" - were they really so good? The results of a recent study of Women's Institute members indicate a belief that UK couples are better off these days than they were thirty years ago, however today's consumer culture is also thought to contribute to the stress and pressure faced by couples in the current day and age.

How much has changed in thirty years and how much has remained the same? While our parents may recall the good old days of courting and wooing, meeting the parents and marriage before sex, a survey of WI members indicates that 65% of respondents believe couples today are much better off than they were thirty years ago. The study, conducted by eHarmony, reveals that the sample of 300 WI members aged 40-80 thought that their children's relationships are better off today as a result of less pressure from family and society than in previous generations.

The study found that 90% of women remember money or the lack of as being the biggest stress of relationships thirty years ago. Yet in spite of increased salaries and double incomes for many couples, 84% still cite money as the biggest stress on relationships today. Work and career imposes more stress in a relationship today than thirty years ago but surprisingly it is how we spend our hard earned cash that causes many problems for today's couples. Just 18% of WI members feel that material possessions caused relationship problems thirty years ago. In 2010, that figure has more than doubled to 45%.

Dr Gian Gonzaga, Ph.D, Senior Research Scientist for eHarmony.co.uk explains: "Irrespective of how society develops, we will always need to work to provide for ourselves and our loved ones, so finances and work will always be constants in our lives. However it is interesting to note that what we do with our hard earned cash is causing more stress on our relationships today than thirty years ago. Could this be a new relationship stress actually caused by consumerism?" Other survey results indicate the belief that young couples today simply don't work hard enough at their relationships, something that perhaps if they were married, they would do. Marriage is generally considered as important for society and the Government is encouraged to support marriage through pragmatic measures like better tax breaks for married couples.

From dating in Birmingham to marriage in London, eHarmony.co.uk has developed scientific models of compatibility prediction catered for the United Kingdom. eHarmony's Compatibility Matching System™ was created through a partnership with a multi-disciplinary research team from Oxford University's Oxford Internet Institute. While eHarmony.co.uk caters specifically for dating UK, the eHarmony Labs use current psychological literature and psychometric theory to investigate and understand what makes relationships successful. Dr Gian Gonzaga, the senior director of research and development at eHarmony Labs, is a world-renowned expert in the field of compatibility, relationships and marriage.

Contact Details: 21 Wilbury Grove
Hove
United Kingdom
independentjournalismproyect@gmail.com
http://www.eharmony.co.uk/

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