Don’t Be Bored in Your Marriage Because Chances Are It Won’t Improve — Dave’s Diary

Heads up bridal show attendees.  Beware the seven year itch and the seven year boredom check! If you find marriage boring after seven years, it doesn't get any better. All the excited brides and grooms attending this weekend’s event at the Sundome are thinking happily ever after but there is a reality check up ahead.

Being bored by the seventh wedding anniversary indicates a long, slow descent into marital dissatisfaction. The study by social psychology researchers at Stony Brook University in New York interviewed 123 married couples seven years into their marriage and again nine years later after 16 years.

The key finding was that those who were bored with their marriage at year seven experienced a greater decrease in satisfaction at year 16, while those who were not bored at year seven experienced a typically small decrease in satisfaction at year 16. Researchers also found that lower satisfaction at year seven did not lead to increased boredom over the next nine years. Being bored reduces a couple's closeness, and this reduced closeness is what, in turn, causes the reduced satisfaction.