Tips of the Month — Couples

"You may be the love of my life," said the husband, "but I feel really upset when you ____."

What driver hasn't had the experience of traveling down the highway when a car in the adjacent lane veers dangerously close or cuts us off? In an instant, many of us erupt with an angry expletive at the "jerk" in the next car.

What does the brain find more stimulating? Twenty uninterrupted minutes chatting with a spouse, or twenty minutes checking email, surfing websites, receiving texts, and glancing up occasionally to follow the action on the flat screen television?

At the end of each workday, couples face two goals: to unwind from the day's stresses, and to take care of the family's needs. But can a spouse truly unwind when faced with household chores, meal preparation, and (if there are kids at home) the endless demands of child management? When couples are both wage-earners, each needs to recover from the day's stress. But when there's plenty to do after coming through the door, who gets to relax? Who enjoys the leisure that allows…

Money. Power. Sex. Three of the trickiest topics for couples to discuss. Sex, in particular, can stir feelings of embarrassment and shame, leaving us tongue-tied. For instance, a great many women experience physical pain during intercourse — and find it tough to talk about.

You don't have to be a classic film star to offer a quip about marriage. Seems we all have an opinion — light-hearted or otherwise — about its challenges, heartaches and joys.

In this study, participants whose parents had divorced had more negative attitudes toward marriage, more positive attitudes toward divorce, and in general a weaker commitment to marriage than participants whose parents hadn't divorced.

Research published in Psychological Science (September 30, 2010) reveals that men apologize less often than women.