Everyone experiences periods of ups and downs in their marriage. But which gender is more likely to be unhappy in their marriage? A new study called "Relationships in America" by The Austin Institute surveyed over 15,000 adults, seeking an answer to that very question. New Study Says Women Are More Likely Than Men To Be Unhappy In Their Marriages, by Taryn Hillin, huffingtonpost.com, July 11, 2014.
The participants were asked varying questions about the ending of their relationships. Looking at the results, the women appear unhappier in their marriages and also were more likely than men to make the decision to file for divorce. Specifically, when asked if they had thought about leaving their spouse in the last year, 20% of married women said yes. Only 13% of married men answered this question in the affirmative. For couples who were living together but not married, nearly 40% of the women thought about leaving compared to just over 25% of the men.
The participants were also asked about their perceptions of who wanted out of the marriage more. The women's perceptions were as follows: 55% thought the female wanted the divorce more, just over 20% felt that the spouses equally wanted the divorce, and 20% felt that the male wanted the divorce more. The men's perceptions were as follows: 42% thought that the female wanted the divorce more, 28% felt that the spouses equally wanted the divorce, and 29% felt that the male wanted the divorce more. Interestingly, the results show that both parties to the relationship perceived that the female was unhappier and more driven to end the marriage.