Reflection: I like the examples and statistics that the authors/researchers use to support their

points. I am not sure if I am supporting my inquiry question well enough. Should I take some of
the statics out or should I elaborate more on what I believe and how the statistics tie in with my
beliefs and opinions. Also I would like to know if my thesis flows and if I need to take out any
information. I am writing to any individual that can understand divorce.
Thesis
For divorce there can be many reasons as to why people get a divorce or encounter
marital dissolution. She/he cheated on me, I fell out of love with him/her, lack of
commitment, and many more reasons. Among the sources that I have found, the connections that
are among the sources are that it depends on the perspective and the specific situation that the
couple is in. For example in the source, The Journal of Marriage and Family publication, article
Premarital Cohabitation and Marriage Dissolution, cohabitation is one of the suggested ways
for avoiding marriage dissolution. Cohabitation is living with your significant other prior to
marriage. However in the source webpage Psych Central, the article Do Your Personality Traits
Affect Your Relationship, Long-term married couples with similar traits also report less marital
satisfaction than those with opposing traits. Sometimes when the world of demands steps out,
partners either expect their partner to fill in or predict boredom and confinement with one
person. These two sources show that it can be a variety of reasons as to why marriage may not
survive; it all depends on the individuals involved in a particular situation.
Even though every individual and couple are different, statics do show that 73% of
marriages end because of lack of commitment, which is the highest rate of all the reasons of
divorce. In agreement with writers Lakeesha N. Woods and Robert E Emery, publication Divorce
and Remarriage, article title Reasons for Divorce, Most divorce research is based on the reports

of divorced individuals; a dyadic perspective is needed to capture the entire range of reasons for
divorce (183). The researchers argued that partners in close relationship often disagree about
their relationship. A former husband and wife can have two completely different perspectives on
their former relationship. I agree with the researchers because as of today divorce is still
happening at a high rate meaning couples werent agreeing on matters which lead to a marital
dissolution. The researchers Woods and Emery took a poll surveying males and females
perspective on their relationship and marriage, which supports their data.
Culture can also affect a marriage, according to Marriage and Divorce the author E I
Pakhomova discusses how the meaning and significance of family has changed in the Russian
culture. Pakhomova says that divorce rates are going up in Russia. According to data of the State
Committee for Statistics, 1.319 million people got married in 1970 while 397,000 were divorced;
in 2002, 1.02 million got married and 854,000 were divorced. In 2005 the respective figures
were 1.066 million and 605,000. Based on the statics provided by the State Committee for
Statistics, it greatly supports the cultural reasoning of divorce.
The source Timing of Divorce : Predicting When a Couple Will Divorce
Over a 14-Year Period by authors John Mordechai Gottman and Robert Wayne Levenson was a
persuasive source to me because they performed a study and made predictions to see if what they
predicted would be carried out or true. The two researchers suggest that the first seven years of
marriage are critical and also the period during which the couples child reaches the age of
fourteen. These two periods seem to be a very low point for marriages. The couples in this
study were contacted periodically during the past 14 years, and 27.8% of the sample had
divorced as of 1996. Of the couples who had divorced since 1987, the average length of marriage

was 16.4 years (average of husbands and wifes report). They also reported that the most
common reasons for divorcing are not strong negative affect and constant arguments; but the
major reasons for divorce was that nearly 80% of all men and women, were gradually growing
apart and losing a sense of closeness and not feeling loved and appreciated.
Comparing these sources has helped me understand divorce from a statistical point of
view because many of the sources provided statics and performed a study. Performing studies is
a way to provide strong evidence of the point that is being conveyed. Each source provides
reasoning for the ongoing conversation, the causations of divorce because each source shows
evidence and examples from a variety of individuals and couples. Knowing what can lead to a
divorce and what raises divorce rates are very important because in our society, families
encounter divorces all the time no matter what their cultural backgrounds may be.
Some people may not know as much knowledge on the reasons of divorce, however
reading other writers and other peoples views and perspectives can help anyone understand a
particular topic. In my findings I have realized that divorce can be avoided depending on the
situation and the individuals. A lot of the causes and reasons of divorce can be worked out or
solved and I believe that it is up to the couple rather or not they are going to work it out. I would
like to learn more about what pushes a couple or an individual into to getting a divorce. Of
course we know some of the reasoning but what leads someone to their breaking point.

Work Cited
Bachrach, Christine, and Marjorie C. Horn. Marriage and First Intercourse, Marital Dissolution,
and Remarriage: United States, 1982. Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human
Services, Public Health Service, National Center for Health Statistics, 1985. Internet
resource.
Gottman, John M, and Robert W. Levenson. "The Timing of Divorce: Predicting When a Couple
Will Divorce Over a 14-Year Period." Journal of Marriage and Family. 62.3 (2000): 737745. Print.
MANNING, WENDY D, and JESSICA A. COHEN. "Premarital Cohabitation and Marital
Dissolution: an Examination of Recent Marriages." Journal of Marriage and Family. 74.2
(2012): 377-387. Print.
PAKHOMOVA, E.I. "Marriage And Divorce: What Has Changed In The Perceptions Of
Russians?." Russian Social Science Review 51.3 (2010): 4-15.Academic Search
Complete. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
Phillips, Suzzane B. "Do Your Personality Traits Affect Your Relationship?"Healing Together for
Couples. Psych Central, 15 Mar. 2010. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Ponzetti, James J, Anisa Zvonkovic, Rodney M. Cate, and Ted L. Huston. "Reasons for
Divorce." Journal of Divorce & Remarriage. 17 (1992): 183-201. Print.
Rani, P S. "Correlation of the Personality Traits with the Reasons for Divorce in I.t.
Professionals." Journal of Advanced Scientific Research. 5.3 (2014). Print.