Is Divorce Contagious? (VIDEO)

"Breaking up is hard to do, unless everyone else is doing it too," say three social scientists in a new working paper.

In the paper (hat tip to the New York Times blog Freakonomics), Rose McDermott, Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler argue that divorce can spread through circles of friends because social networks tend to influence a person's romantic and sexual practices.

Using a 32-year sample, the study finds that "a person is 75 percent more likely to be divorced if a person that they are directly connected to is divorced."

The authors conclude:

"Divorce appears to spread through social networks, and, in turn, exerts effects on the structure of the network itself, changing its character. In so doing, we suggest that attending to the health of one's friends' marriages serves to support and enhance the durability of one's own relationship."

Good Morning America ran a recent segment on the piece. Check out the video below:

Read the study here:

social_network_effects_on_divorce

Comments

[Free2Speak]

04:34 AM on 06/30/2010

I agree because in the Philippines(which have no divorce) what we run to the marriage counselor or separate for don't even come up on the couple's radar...It might also be Oprah and Phil influencing it to.

[Puma80]

02:13 PM on 06/29/2010

Humans learn by imitation. In the case of the divorce contagion, it is the non-breadwinner spouses seeing how well others have fared with their divorce settlements, and realizing how well they would do if they only press the divorce button too.

http://weddedabyss.wordpress.com/

This isn't necessarily a "men get shafted" situation either; it is more like "breadwinner spouse gets shafted". As women become primary breadwiners, we are starting to see more and more examples of alimony paying career women, being left by their yoga-instructor/failed-artist husbands. As long as lifetime alimony laws are still around (in states like CA, NJ, MA, FL, etc) we will continue to see this predatory divorce behavior.

[kalital]

06:11 AM on 06/29/2010

This is a weird conclusion to draw from the correlation, as if finding friends in healthy relationships will cure the problems with one's own relationship. Correlation is not causation. That's quantitative social science Rule #1. When you're in a bad relationships, you tend to hang out with other people who have similar problems. It helps to talk your problems through with people who understand them, and it gives people support, and it's no surprise that a network of friends with similar relationship problems have relationships that will end similarly -- in break-up. When relationships are better, people are less interested in hanging out with those whose problems are lousy relationships -- they like to hang out with people in good relationships, since, again, they have something to share. Those people in good relationships talk about other problems -- money, job stress, and so on. One's friends are not a model for one's behavior, but a reflection of one's current status, preferences, and social needs. This was the case even in the day when divorce was rare -- divorcees hung out together. Turning it into a moral prescription -- "improve your friends and you'll improve yourself" -- is simplistic and ultimately a non-solution.

[Skiwee]

01:28 AM on 06/29/2010

Well, emm, I'm not sure. I have 4 siblings, my only brother who has 2 daughters and one of my sisters who has a daughter, never got married - their daughters aren't married either.

I am divorced, so are my other two sisters, and we divorced when our children were very young - my eldest sister's children were 8 and 5, my other sister's child was 5 and my child was 3.

Does that make the statistic true? Who knows, or in our case.....probably. All the children of divorce are single, three in their 30's and one in her 20's. The three in their 30's live with their significant other and two of them have children. The two with children, their relationships, so far, have lasted over 10 years.

Did the divorces influence them to remain single? According to them....no, but subconsciously....probably! My daughter (in her 20's) still lives at home and says she does intend to marry.....one day, but that's still left to be seen.

Wow, that was a mouth-full.....

[Skiwee]

01:39 AM on 06/29/2010

By the way, we are not products of a 'broken' home, our parents were married till death parted them, so were our paternal and maternal grandparents!

[Betrayed]

12:02 AM on 06/29/2010

Makes sense.

Like what Vince Lombardi said about confidence, and the lack of confidence.

They are contagious as well.

[Sherifah Rafiq Lobo]

11:39 PM on 06/28/2010

Marriage is a LEGAL contract that should be respected by both parties with a LEGAL PENALTY attach to suit breach of contract. People take their oaths to follow contracts from their employers more seriously than they do marriage. Most people get married knowing that they will not put 100% into it and will at the very least keep 1 foot out the door in "search" for better options. This crazy increase in cheating is beyond repulsive and a clear weakness in character. It shows the greed and selfish nature in people and it drags down perfectly good people into a despair that most really never recover from. For a lousy 5-15 mins of fun entire worlds are turned upside down and destroyed needlessly. The cowardly sneaky act could have been avoided with a dose of straight up honestly. The spouse would be hurt but in the end they would still have some symbol of respect for you and they would be able to move on to the next relationship with less of a mountain of issues to climb over. The lack of self control, and respect people have for their spouses is whats most mind boggling to me. The lack of safe sex, of extra children on the side, and woman so lose & pressed that they will lay with men 4 next 2 nothing is so sad. Makes me wonder if we have such little regard for each other then why even get married in the 1st place?

[luvobama]

12:44 AM on 06/29/2010

Wow.

Yous ound like something bad has happened to you in your marriage.

My condolences.

[Brandon Brown]

12:06 PM on 06/30/2010

As a lawyer I would NEVER advise a client to sign a contract that 1) lasts until you die with no exceptions 2) provides for a single provider of services for that duration. Couple that with the relatively young age people enter into these contracts and the prospect for success is still more ridiculous

[Sherifah Rafiq Lobo]

06:39 PM on 06/30/2010

I don't understand the single provider part as that's not a part of any state marriage license. I will say that these issues can be addressed in a prenuptial. I know a great deal of Jews, Hindus, and Muslims with contracts. Various Muslim sects do allow for marriage contracts with term limits to be renewed. I think this should be applied to contracts in America as well. You sign job contracts and could work for them for years or even life. Yet, you are expected to abide by the rules of the agreement until you QUIT or are terminated. Why so lose on the marriage vows? We didn't use to run down the street trying to jump on or in everything moving. Nor did we use to act like heathens unable to keep our pants on like we have ants in our pants. It wouldn't be such a big deal if the fall out wasn't so potentially dangerous. However, you can't say sorry when u give someone a STD, even more so when it's life threatening. A secrete kid on the side doesn't want to hear all these excuses on why you didn't pay child support. Same way an employer doesn't want to hear why you stole, cheated a client in their name, sold secretes to competitors, or incompetence. My point is if you cant keep ur word why not just leave before you do something life threatening or foolish. Lets honor our contracts and our WORD.

[lrubemp]

11:08 PM on 06/28/2010

Well, all it takes is a good example to give you the courage.

[publanski]

11:22 PM on 06/28/2010

The same could be said about marriage.

[livesimply]

10:57 PM on 06/28/2010

I don't buy it. I think you pick your friends based on commonalities. For example, if you party a lot, you will hang out with others that party. If you are a couple that does a lot of separate stuff, like golfing and knitting groups, etc., you will create friends in those groups. If you spend a lot of time with families and do whole lot of family stuff, etc., etc. I think it has a lot more to do with common interests and belief systems than anything else.

[publanski]

11:24 PM on 06/28/2010

The fact that they've done a 32 year sample study to back up what they said sways my opinion more that your hunch, for some reason..

[livesimply]

11:41 PM on 06/28/2010

Have you ever taken a class on how research is developed? Well, I have and I've had to write and analyze research proposals. Lots of studies do not prove what they appear to. They are simply hypotheses.

[seahorsee]

10:32 PM on 06/28/2010

Two f my closest friends recently separated and are on their way to divorce - after she reconnected with friends from high school who were all going through their respective divorces. It's interesting, because there was no sign of turbulence before this.

[Roses]

01:43 AM on 06/29/2010

One never knows what goes on in a marriage except for the people in that marriage.
My best friend divorced after 10 years and then told me of all of the infidelity, drinking, and abuse.
One can never know.

[dsdem]

10:29 PM on 06/28/2010

so is stupidity

[Kiri sute gomen]

09:47 PM on 06/28/2010

I am glad those after school specials taught me to say no to peer pressure.

[Angelaaaa]

09:31 PM on 06/28/2010

I would be interested to know how one earth one could attend to the health of one's friends' marriages without becoming a meddling busybody. How could you do it?

Put on a few romantic dinners on your patio - and then hang around and ensure they do it right? Drive them both to marriage counselling and then sit around in the carpark to ensure they put in the time?

Anything other than lending a kind ear to both and odd spot of babysitting, becomes downright creepy.

[LogicalMathMan]

10:36 PM on 06/28/2010

mmmm...women talk to their 'besties'

[luvobama]

10:55 PM on 06/28/2010

We sure do.

However, I would never disrespect my husband to anyone.

I might complain about trivial things, but i would never tear him down.

Nor would I let anyone else. My claws would come out big time.

[LogicalMathMan]

08:48 PM on 06/28/2010

Divorce is the result when marriage turns out to be the cop out. ....sometimes.

Marriage is an archaic institution, mired in insecurity and fortified by codependency.

[Roses]

08:53 PM on 06/28/2010

Or it can be the result of undying love and truthful work....like mine and my husband's for 33 years.

[luvobama]

09:54 PM on 06/28/2010

Fanned

[ofcoursejesusisblack]

11:12 PM on 06/28/2010

Wonderful! Fanned! :)

[Wood]

10:09 PM on 06/28/2010

That doesn't only apply to marriage...

[BannedInBoston]

08:17 PM on 06/28/2010

I can see one reason and one reason only to get married and that is to raise children together. If that's not your ultimate goal, then marriage isn't for you. There's nothing religious in this view either. It's just practical advice.

[livesimply]

10:47 PM on 06/28/2010

Don't forget health insurance.

[luvobama]

10:58 PM on 06/28/2010

No no no.

Life is a journey. If you are lucky enough to find someone you want to travel it with, you are most fortunate.

[BannedInBoston]

08:03 PM on 06/28/2010

ONE of my ex's and my couples counselors confided in us during one session that the only real way to make marriage "work" was by role playing -- the whole "mommy/daddy" bit, etc. (even if you don't have kids which we didn't, at least not from this marriage -- it was the second for both of and our kids were grown). Well, we weren't into role playing. We were into being brutally honest and up front with each other which turns out IS a mistake.

[AmandaBC]

08:20 PM on 06/28/2010

I don't know about that, it depends on the couple.

My parents are what many people would define as "idealistic hippies." Both are atheist/agnostic and very very "progressive." Both are self-employed "creative" types and make enough to live on their own. I'm an only child and I haven't lived with them since I went to college: I work, I'm self-sufficient. They have absolutely none of the claptraps that keep some people together (pressure from religion, kids, dependency etc.) And yet they love each so much like you wouldn't believe it. They're indeed brutally honest with each other, but they always find a way to solve all their problems. HeII will definitely freeze over multiple times before my parents divorce or even consider cheating on each other.

I understand that they may be a rarity, but couples like this do exist...

[BannedInBoston]

09:01 PM on 06/28/2010

Oh, I'm sure. It's interesting that you mention the lack of cheating in their marriage. (Being hippies ARE they actually married? Frankly, I think the institution itself pressures people in a lot of bad ways that simply having an intimate relationship and living together wouldn't do.) Frankly, based on what I've read, I think cheating is far and away the number one cause of breakup and divorce. Even if it's not "out in the open" and is well-concealed, it still shatters the possibility of any real intimacy between partners.

(BTW, I'm an only child too and MY parents had possibly the only truly successful marriage I've ever witnessed. Both of them were truly and totally devoted to each other until the day my father _died at 90. I think I always searched for a relationship like this but never found it....)

[Albert Amato]

02:04 AM on 06/29/2010

I have been married 39 years with children and grandchildren.....but trust me toots.....if were born and not hatched, your parents are NOT proud of you.
Learn, listen and think and stop the constant droning.

[Roses]

09:09 PM on 06/28/2010

I don't think so.
My husband and I are very much in love and have been married for 33 years. Our marriage is not without arguments but we love and trust each other.
Many years ago, I talked with a friend who told me how to 'fight fair'. One of those things was to talk in terms of 'I' , such as 'I' think or 'I' feel.
That one simple little tool has enabled us both to be terribly honest with each other but to not make our arguments hurtful. We are brutally honest, but don't hurt each other.