Not everyone needs to have sex all the time to feel like they have a happy marriage. But it helps.
After following 72 newlyweds during the first four years of their marriages, this was the conclusion reached by psychology professor James McNulty and graduate Michelle Russel.
Make or break
The psychologists asked the couples how happy they thought their marriages were, and how often they had sex. Some of the happily married people said they had sex all the time, others only now and again.
But for one group of people, the frequency of sex can make or break a marriage, the psychologists found: if a partner in the relationship is neurotic.
Fussing and fretting
‘Neurotic’ is the term psychologists use to describe people who are extreme worriers and easily get upset or annoyed. Not surprisingly, they tend to give their partners a hard time, and often it's not long before their relationships are on the rocks.
But luckily, the study found there’s a way to make up for all the unhappiness caused by their fussing and fretting: plenty of time spent between the sheets.
Want to talk? Share with Love Matters on our Facebook page. If you have a specific question visit our discussion forum - Let’s Talk.