'Happy wife, happy life': Decade-old stereotype dispelled by U of A research
A study completed by a researcher at the University of Alberta has found the old saying "happy wife, happy life" isn’t the key to a happy, healthy relationship.
“People just latched onto this idea and it’s become common belief,” Matthew Johnson, a U of A relationship researcher and lead author on the study, said in a news release.
“There’s still that thought or expectation that women have unique attention to the relational side of things,” he said.
The study used data from 10 Canadian, American and German studies that checked in with 901 mixed-gender couples daily for 21 days and 3,405 mixed-gender couples assessed each year for five years.
When asked about their relationships, men’s satisfaction levels were just as significant as those of their female partners when predicting their future happiness.
“The experience of both partners matters, regardless of gender,” said Johnson.
This study is the first to test the "happy wife, happy life" theory that emerged in the 1970s.
“Men and women have equal ability and, with that, the shared responsibility for directing the course of their relationship,” Johnson said.
He said it’s up to both partners to be responsible for the good and bad in a relationship.
“If what is happening in your relationship is good, double down on that so you can reap those rewards into the future,” said Johnson.
“If what’s happening is not what you’d hoped for in your life, make changes now, because if the relationship is struggling, it’s going to continue to struggle unless you act.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.