Not all relationships are the same. In fact, research from Brian Ogolsky of the University of Illinois recently found that there are four different types of relationships, which all say something different about how long you and your partner will stay together, according to The Independent.
The study, which reviewed 376 unmarried couples in their mid-20s for a nine-month period, found that all relationships can be labeled as dramatic, conflict-ridden, socially involved or partner-focused.
The majority of the couples in the study (about 34 percent) had dramatic relationships where the couples were more turbulent than others. About 12 percent of the couples were conflict-ridden and had the most amount of arguments, The Independent reported.
Socially involved couples made up 19 percent of the participants and represented relationships in which partners spent the majority of their time interacting on social networks, according to The Independent.
The last group, partner-focused couples, put their partner above everything else, and made up 30 percent of the study.
The researchers tracked the couples through nine months to determine the likelihood of those couples getting married in the future, according to The Independent.
Heres a look at the four relationship types and how long they last:
Partner-focused Most likely to stay together
Partner-focused couples, where one partner puts the other above everything else, were the most likely to get married, according to the study.
And thats not a surprising finding, either. After all, spending time with your partner is one of the keys to relationship success, according to Catherine Morris, a psychotherapist for couples and families.
In an article on her website, Morris explained that couples who spend time with each other are often reminded about the beauty of their relationship, even in a world where people are constantly busy and rarely have time to take a break.
Remember, your spouse is the person that you chose to spend the rest of your life with, Morris wrote. Your spouse can be the very person who brightens your day and makes traversing the difficulties that meet you each day easier. Spending time together is quite simple when you make it a priority, and the good news is that research has shown that spending small, positive moments together is what really matters in keeping a relationship strong and healthy.
Socially-involved Committed to marriage
These couples were heavily influenced by social media but were still committed to marriage, according to the University of Illinois study.
Social media has changed a lot of ways couples interact. Theres even social media considerations for partners after a breakup.
Social networks have been known to cause ripples in a relationship. A 2013 study from the University of Missouri found that too much Facebook can damage your relationship.
Couples who use Facebook extensively are more likely to have Facebook-related conflicts in their relationships, which then may cause negative relationship outcomes including emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce, according to a University of Missouri press release.
But the news isnt all bad for social media and relationships. Research has shown that taking pictures with your partner on Facebook often leads to higher relationship satisfaction.
And Gwendolyn Seidman, Ph.D., wrote for Psychology Today that Facebook and other social media allow couples to instantly connect with their partner, which gives them the chance to promote positivity in their relationship.
We can keep our relationships strong by having positive interactions with our partner and providing them with assurances declarations of love and commitment, Seidman wrote.
Conflict-ridden Unlikely to stay together
Couples with lots of conflict were middle of the road in terms of staying together, but were more likely to stay together than dramatic couples, according to the study.
Conflicts happen in all relationships, but its how couples handle those conflicts thats most important, according to 2015 study from Baylor University cited by Science Daily.
Couples who withdraw from each other after conflict are most likely to cause relationship dissatisfaction, and partners who expect your partner to be a mind reader also hurt relationships by making each other angry, the study said.
"Often, you have one person who withdraws and the other demands. The more the one demands and complains, the more the other withdraws, and so on," according to researcher Keith Sanford, Ph.D.
Researchers said the best way to resolve conflict is to find a more constructive approach, ScienceDaily reported.
"It's an issue both of being aware of when these behaviors are occurring and of finding an alternative a more constructive, polite approach to resolve conflict," Sanford said. "And at times, that's easier said than done."
Dramatic Least likely to stay together
Dramatic couples are most likely to break up before marriage, according to the study.
And thats not surprising, since drama tends to create unnecessary issues in a relationship, according to Ken Page, a relationship expert who wrote for The Huffington Post. Relationships without drama tend to make couples happier and gives partners an alternative way of finding excitement and passion in their relationship.
As we get older, however, melodrama becomes increasingly less acceptable, and compatibility and kindness begin to look more and more desirable, Page wrote. But this doesnt mean the end of adventure. We can have and enjoy the deep thrills of romantic love and the comfort of stability at the same time.
The study, which reviewed 376 unmarried couples in their mid-20s for a nine-month period, found that all relationships can be labeled as dramatic, conflict-ridden, socially involved or partner-focused.
The majority of the couples in the study (about 34 percent) had dramatic relationships where the couples were more turbulent than others. About 12 percent of the couples were conflict-ridden and had the most amount of arguments, The Independent reported.
Socially involved couples made up 19 percent of the participants and represented relationships in which partners spent the majority of their time interacting on social networks, according to The Independent.
The last group, partner-focused couples, put their partner above everything else, and made up 30 percent of the study.
The researchers tracked the couples through nine months to determine the likelihood of those couples getting married in the future, according to The Independent.
Heres a look at the four relationship types and how long they last:
Partner-focused Most likely to stay together
Partner-focused couples, where one partner puts the other above everything else, were the most likely to get married, according to the study.
And thats not a surprising finding, either. After all, spending time with your partner is one of the keys to relationship success, according to Catherine Morris, a psychotherapist for couples and families.
In an article on her website, Morris explained that couples who spend time with each other are often reminded about the beauty of their relationship, even in a world where people are constantly busy and rarely have time to take a break.
Remember, your spouse is the person that you chose to spend the rest of your life with, Morris wrote. Your spouse can be the very person who brightens your day and makes traversing the difficulties that meet you each day easier. Spending time together is quite simple when you make it a priority, and the good news is that research has shown that spending small, positive moments together is what really matters in keeping a relationship strong and healthy.
Socially-involved Committed to marriage
These couples were heavily influenced by social media but were still committed to marriage, according to the University of Illinois study.
Social media has changed a lot of ways couples interact. Theres even social media considerations for partners after a breakup.
Social networks have been known to cause ripples in a relationship. A 2013 study from the University of Missouri found that too much Facebook can damage your relationship.
Couples who use Facebook extensively are more likely to have Facebook-related conflicts in their relationships, which then may cause negative relationship outcomes including emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce, according to a University of Missouri press release.
But the news isnt all bad for social media and relationships. Research has shown that taking pictures with your partner on Facebook often leads to higher relationship satisfaction.
And Gwendolyn Seidman, Ph.D., wrote for Psychology Today that Facebook and other social media allow couples to instantly connect with their partner, which gives them the chance to promote positivity in their relationship.
We can keep our relationships strong by having positive interactions with our partner and providing them with assurances declarations of love and commitment, Seidman wrote.
Conflict-ridden Unlikely to stay together
Couples with lots of conflict were middle of the road in terms of staying together, but were more likely to stay together than dramatic couples, according to the study.
Conflicts happen in all relationships, but its how couples handle those conflicts thats most important, according to 2015 study from Baylor University cited by Science Daily.
Couples who withdraw from each other after conflict are most likely to cause relationship dissatisfaction, and partners who expect your partner to be a mind reader also hurt relationships by making each other angry, the study said.
"Often, you have one person who withdraws and the other demands. The more the one demands and complains, the more the other withdraws, and so on," according to researcher Keith Sanford, Ph.D.
Researchers said the best way to resolve conflict is to find a more constructive approach, ScienceDaily reported.
"It's an issue both of being aware of when these behaviors are occurring and of finding an alternative a more constructive, polite approach to resolve conflict," Sanford said. "And at times, that's easier said than done."
Dramatic Least likely to stay together
Dramatic couples are most likely to break up before marriage, according to the study.
And thats not surprising, since drama tends to create unnecessary issues in a relationship, according to Ken Page, a relationship expert who wrote for The Huffington Post. Relationships without drama tend to make couples happier and gives partners an alternative way of finding excitement and passion in their relationship.
As we get older, however, melodrama becomes increasingly less acceptable, and compatibility and kindness begin to look more and more desirable, Page wrote. But this doesnt mean the end of adventure. We can have and enjoy the deep thrills of romantic love and the comfort of stability at the same time.
