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''Additionally, Gottman and Levenson's research indicated that not all negative interactions, like anger, are predictive of relational separation and divorce. However, Gottman’s research shows a strong correlation between the presence of contempt in a marriage and the couple’s likelihood of divorce as a consequence.''

Gottman and Levenson's Four Horseman of the Apocalypse theory is centered around the concept that the behaviors below work in a cascade model, in which one leads to the other, creating a continued environment of negativity and hostility that creates marital dissatisfaction, leads to considerations of marital dissolution, separation, and finally dissolution.

End of Horseman One: Criticism

''One possible solution to avoiding criticism is to grow the culture in a marriage to include a well-held vulnerability. This means that those in the marriage should feel safe enough to express their opinions and frustrations without the fear of rejection. Criticism does not allow partners to be vulnerable with one another, and their relationship can quickly deteriorate as a result. One may consider using more “I” statements and expressive language in order to overcome criticism.''

Horseman Two: Defensiveness

''Defensiveness is a protective behavior and is indicated by shifting blame and avoiding responsibility, often in an attempt to defend against the first two horsemen. It stems from an internal response to protect one’s pride and self-worth. The body may go into fight or flight mode to protect against a perceived threat in the defensive stage.''

After Horseman paragraphs:

''Gottman’s Research in Predicting Divorce and Couple Separation and How Divorce Can Be Avoided (Klemz, Loke, Thornton). ''

''Gottman and his team did more extensive research in follow-up to this study, testing whether or not couples who exhibited these “horseman” were more or less likely to divorce. In a longitudinal study, Gottman and his team were able to predict with 93% accuracy (Gottman &Levenson, 2000) how many couples would divorce from their observations.''

They found that those couples who ended up separating had the following attributes in their marriage:

Harsh Startup: in arguments or disagreements, those couples who participated in harsh startups were those who begin an argument with great aggression, refused to see another’s point of view, or brought issues up at inappropriate times.

The Four Horsemen (as stated previously)

''Emotional Flooding: this condition occurs when one partner feels overwhelmed and their brain begins to protect itself by shutting down. They physically and mentally cannot process anymore what the other is saying. This may lead to the person who is not flooded to think they are not listening or do not care, when in fact, their system has been overwhelmed. This may occur when one partner brings up a controversial topic or points out many flaws in another in a short period of time. ''

Body Language: whether the couple is sending mixed messages, participating in a double-bind kind of thinking, or sending hostile nonverbal cues, destruction occurs.

''Repair Attempts that were not accepted: A repair attempt is anything that one partner does to try to bring the relationship back into control. This could be deescalation tactics, bringing up something about which you both stand on common ground about, or even an inside joke. These attempts, when accepted and acted upon, encourage intimacy and affection in a marriage and allow the situation to deescalate. Those who do not participate in this tactic will have a greater likelihood of an argument or fight escalating out of control.''

And

''A Negative View on their marriage and their overall happiness together: Gottman also found that those in the study who ended up divorcing or having low marital satisfaction thought about landmarks in their marriages as negative. The landmark moments that most people think of with fondness, such as their engagement, wedding, reception, birth of a child, etc., were almost all met with criticism from those in unhappy marriages. These people had trained their brain that their partner had not ever met their needs and there had never been happiness in their relationship (The Gottman Institute).''

Gottman, J. M., & Levenson, R. W. (2000). The Timing of Divorce: Predicting When a Couple Will Divorce Over a 14-Year Period. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(3), 737–745. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00737.x

Klemz, J. (2018, July 31). How Dr. Gottman Can Predict Divorce (with 94% Accuracy). Real Life Counseling. https://reallifecounseling.us/predict-divorce-gottman/

Loke, P. (n.d.). 6 Predictors of Divorce – Centre for Fathering Ltd. Centre for Fathering Ltd. https://fathers.com.sg/6-predictors-of-divorce/

Thornton, J. (2018, May 11). Why Couples Divorce: Six Predictors. Foundations Family Counseling. https://foundationsfamily.com/couples-divorce-six-predictors/

Marriage and Couples - Research. (2019, August 26). The Gottman Institute. https://www.gottman.com/about/research/couples/