Why do people get divorced

asks Woolley:
A. Some couples are doomed from the start, according to new US research.

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Q. You mean when your mother-in-law gives you the evil eye first time you go around for dinner
A. No, it's more about your own gut feelings at the start of the marriage. Overlooking glaring faults in your loved one may be easy enough when you're in the first throes of love, but it's harder when you've been with them night and day for year and years, and they're really getting on your nerves...

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Q. How do you work that out
A. Researchers from Ohio State University took samples from 90 newly wed couples when they were relaxed and when they were discussing touchy subjects, such as mother and their in-laws. These samples were analysed for levels of four stress hormones. Ten years on, the researchers revisited the couples to see if they were still together.

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Q. And were they
A. Not surprisingly, the couples who had shown the highest stress levels when they started married life were the most likely to be divorced or in an unhappy marriage.

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Q. Can you tell from just looking who is more likely to have high stress levels
A. No. The researchers found that sometimes couples who didn't argue with each other and who were relatively calm, had high stress hormone levels.

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Q. They were seething inside
A. Looks like it. Dr Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, who led the research, explained that people can respond emotionally to each other, even when they're not conscious of doing so. Instead of fighting with their partner, they may do something like avoid eye contact with them, or move to another room to get away from them.

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Q. So, what should you do if you're planning to get married
A. Follow your gut feelings, says Dr Kiecolt-Glaser. She claims that stress hormone levels are better predictors of divorce than behavioural traits such as aggression or negativity. 'If you feel that something isn't right, it could be your hormones trying to tell you something,' is her conclusion.

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Q. How bad are the divorce rates
According to divorce online, 144,600 marriages in England and Wales ended in divorce in 2000.

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Why do you think people are getting divorced Post your opinion here

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By Sheena MIller