Evening star., 1940-02-15

INVtSDVOA VI SSJeUSS IIO2Ie9S
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.
A University OF Chicago professor Is
making . love meter.
When It is r.rfected he expects to
measure accurately the probability Of q
happy marriage for any particular
couple. 1t has already reached the point,
Prof. Ernest w. Burgess has just re-
ported to the Journal of Heredity, organ
Of the American Genetics Association
here, where predictions of the outcome
of marriage are about so per cent better
than pure guesses.
During the past Is years. Prof. Burgess
explains, there have been studies, all
over the world on the relations Of vari-
Gus factors in the lives and personalities
Of prospective brides and grooms which
seem to have some bearing on prospects
for happy married life. He and Dr..
L. S. Cottrell, jr., are seeking to COM
hine these factors, somewhat after the
fashion of an intelligence test, so as to
give single prediction score.
Working along very similar lines is
Prof. l.. w. Terman, psychologist Of the
University Of California, and Prof
Burgess describes his results in connec-
ton with those obtained at Chicago.
He and DR.. Cottrell, Prof. Burgess says,
have made a close study Of. 526 couples
and find high positive relationships with
various factors In their pre-marital
lives. Among these are: Happy marriage
Of the parents of both husband and wife,
similarity of family backgrounds and
other children in both families. The
chances are best, he finds, If both have
been reared in the country, both have
attended Sunday school until at least
18 years of age, and If the husband goes
to church twice or oftener each month.
The "love meter" indicates that two or
three year engagements are best, that
both parties should be in the age range
between 20 and 80, and that marriages
by minister, priest or rabbi are most
likely to be permanent.
The husband should not be closely at
tached to any brother or sister nor the
wife to any but younger brother. Both
at the time Of marriage should have
regular jobs. BY combining these and
other factors into an expectancy table,
Prof. Burgess says, 'it was feasible to
predict at the time of marriage the
probability of adjustment or happiness.
We find correlation Of background
factors with marital adjustment of plus
54 for husbands and plus ~ for wives"
six psychological characteristics" he
continues, "have an important relation to
adjustment IN marriage. Both for the
husband and wife, with one exception,
the following traits make for unhap-
piness: an unhappy temperament in
dicated by predisposition to be pessimistic
rather than optimistic; neurotic tende-
ctes expressed by being touchy. grouchy,
lonesome, easily hurt, and bothered by
useless thoughts; dominating and DOM
ineering, characterized by determination
to get ones own way; lack Of self-con-
hdence on the part Of the husband: and
self -suhiciency as indicated by usually
facing troubles alone and avoiding ask
Ing others advice.
1T is interesting to note that lack of
self confidence In the husband but not
In the wife makes for unhappiness in
marriage. It is also essential to dif.
ferentiate between self-confidence and
-suniciency. The self-suniciency hus-
band and wife tend to be unhappy. There
is not the same emotional need for each
other that exists where both are mutually
dependent emotionally upon each other
Robert F. Winch Of the University of
Chicago, DR.. Burgess reports, has been
making similar studies on the adjust
ment Of engaged couples before marriage,
some Of the finding Of which undoubtedly
will extend into married life. Generally,
ne finds, the couple should have similar
temperaments, but peculiar exceptions
show up on certain traits.
For example, the best combination
seems to be where the man is easily
moved to tears and the woman is not,
The poorest combination is where the man
Is fearless and the woman cries easily
The second best combination is where
both weep with difhculty and the third
best where both shed tears on the
slightest provocation.
II the man makes friends easily and
the woman does not 1t is bad sign, Mr..
Winch found. A very unfavorable COM
binatton is one in which the man is
troubled with feelings of inferiority and
the woman Is not. Another bad mixture
OF that of the daydreaming young man
and the intensely practical girl.
Economic status per sc, DR.. Burgess
found, has practically no relation to sue
cess IN marriage. The hidden factor
there Is the formation Of similar social
patterns and habits Of thinking among
persons from families of a common in
come level.
DR.. Burgess studied the results of the
two most common ways of falling in
love-quick infatuation and the gradual
development of love out of friendship
and companionship He found that the
longer the periods of acquaintance
courtship and engagement the better
the chances for . successful marriage.
HIS studies bear out, he says, the OBJ
servation that q boy is most ant to fall
In love with q girl who looks and acts
IKE his mother and girl with boy who