14 DAY TRIAL // Getting married is a giant leap of faith, it has often been said, whose outcome no one can determine. Working until now under the “only time will tell” principle, marriage has just become much simpler, with scientists revealing in a new study that the answer to whether it will end in divorce or not is to be found in childhood pictures of both members.
After analyzing the cases of 650 adults and the pictures these provided from their childhood, researchers at the DePauw University in Indiana determined that those with the brightest smile were also those most likely to have a happy marriage. Oppositely, those who did not look at the camera or whose smiles were not genuine had more chances of getting divorced. The conclusion was reached after comparing the number of people who smiled the most in photos with the rate of divorce among the 650 adults.
“Smile intensity predicted whether or not participants divorced at some point in their lives. The less intensely participants smiled, the more likely they would be divorced later in life.” researchers say in the study published in the journal Motivation and Emotion. Exact figures show that people whose smiles are forced or not genuine in photos are up to three times more prone to getting divorced later in life.
In order to confirm the findings of the study, the same researchers redid it, this time including photos taken as early as 5 years old in the comparison. Indeed, they have concluded, the intensity of the smile is directly related to the way a person’s marriage evolves. Of course, researchers say, this could also be explained by the fact that a sunny disposition makes it possible for people to overcome obstacles more easily, and to deal with the problems that are inherent to any relationship in a more efficient way.
At the same time, they say, a sunnier disposition also means a more optimistic approach to life, which, in the end, is essential to overcoming hardships. The theory that happiness is contagious is also included in the equation, in the sense that one such person can “spread the joy” to others as well, their partner, in this case.