14 DAY TRIAL // A study published in the November 28 issue of Science confirms that people's gut feelings about the success of their weddings are more likely to predict their outcomes than rational thought. The research suggests that people about to get married should always follow their instincts first.
The investigation was conducted over four years, and covered the cases of 135 newlywed couples. The research group, based at the Florida State University in Tallahassee, found that visceral, split-second reactions that people have about their spouses are just as important as ratings provided after rational thought, Nature reports.
The group determined that these automatic attitudes spouses exhibit towards each other might be a sign of unspoken feelings they might harbor towards each other. At the same time, the brain does not have time to make them rosier, or to temper the intensity of the feeling. These reactions were found to be able to predict the future success of a wedding.
The study revealed that partners who had expressed negative gut feelings and visceral reactions about their spouses were more likely to have a worse marriage over four years than those whose instant reactions were more positive, says FSU psychologist James McNulty.