Divorce and Men’s Height: Research Reveals the Surprising Link Studies show that 40-50% of all first marriages and 60% of second marriages in the United States will end in divorce. Experts say that a marriage is at greater risk of ending in divorce due to the following factors: marrying at an early age, cohabitation before marriage, out-ofwedlock pregnancy, no religious affiliation, less education and income, history of divorce in the family, and insecurity issues.
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Research adds that people are more likely to choose divorce because of the lack of commitment, regular arguments, infidelity, lack of equality in marriage, and abuse. A recent research, though, revealed an unlikely factor that contributes to probability of divorce: men’s height. Sociologists from New York University analyzed data using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics.
The research experts studied whether a man’s height had an impact on relationship dynamics. Men whose heights fell below 66” in 1986 and 67” in 2009 were categorized as short. On the other hand, the researchers classified men who had heights above 73” in 1986 and 74” in 2009 as tall. The experts also looked into education, income, and height difference between partners. The study revealed big differences in relationship dynamics between short and tall men.
Short Men, Less Likely to Divorce Research experts explained that short men were 32% less likely to go through divorce. Short men have a tendency to marry later in life than average or tall men. Majority of the participants were less likely to marry younger and less educated women. When they do marry, men do less of the house chores and focus their energies on getting higher income than their spouses. The research analysts say that height is very much associated with masculinity. Short men tend to use other aspects of the relationship, like income and house chores, to display their machismo. They will take on the challenge of being the breadwinner and take less housework, allowing them to conform to gender ideals and perform what is typically expected of men.
Tall Men, More Likely to Divorce Experts say that tall men tend to marry sooner in life, which puts the relationship at risk for divorce. Shorter men have more solid relationships, because majority choose to marry later in life. Tall men were also more likely to marry women who were better-educated. The research analysts explain that this relationship pattern can be ascribed to tall men exchanging their attractive characteristics—the height—for better-educated spouses.
The researchers say that divorce is commonly brought upon by socioeconomic factors. Men’s height, although physical in nature, indirectly creates an impact to economic position and socioeconomic mobility.
RESOURCES: http://www.williamblylaw.com/ http://www.divorce.usu.edu/files/uploads/lesson3.pdf http://www.medicaldaily.com/perfect-man-short-men-likely-bebetter-life-partners-more-money-300358