Successful Relationship

Running head: KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP 1

Keys to a Successful Relationship

Some Student

March 24, 2015

KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP 2

Abstract

This study observes a few facets of successful relationships. The goal of this study is to

examine the role communication plays in romantic relationships and whether weak

communication skills in the younger generations are to blame for failed relationships. Also, it

seeks to discover if a lack of communication leads to infidelity or unfaithfulness. Finally, this

paper explores the perceived effect divorce has on future romantic relationships of children who

have lived through it. It analyzes a sample of 103 anonymous surveys taken publicly online. This

study examines the relationships between communication, relationship status, age,

unfaithfulness, and infidelity, as well as the reported emotional effect divorce had on

participants’ lives.

Commented [CC1]: I had hoped since you did the

experiment, the abstract would show some of the results and

discussion. It is a summary of the project.

KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP 3

Introduction

The secret to a happy, healthy relationship is a mystery to the majority of people.

Communication is important and is often believed to be the key to a successful relationship. Are

poor communication skills in today’s generation to blame for the increase in failed relationships

and marriages? Cheating is also an issue that is on the rise; does communication play a role in

this? Perhaps individuals are predisposed to failed relationships based off of their parents’ own

experiences. Could divorce cause issues in the future romantic relationships of children who

experience it? These questions, once answered, could help thousands of people. The information

once shared could aid those who struggle with interpersonal relationships to understand the cause

of their issues. The results of my study will be used to draw connections between the factors of

communication, cheating, and marital status of parents with the overall success of the

relationship. I predict that those who communicate more with their partner are generally more

successful than those who do not communicate as well, because the issues they experience are

quickly addressed and resolved. Also, those who were unfaithful probably did not communicate

with their significant others as well, because rather than discussing their unhappiness they

decided to turn to others. When an individual is more comfortable communicating emotionally

with someone outside their relationship who is of the opposite sex, they form emotional bonds

with that person. This could lead to an affair. Poor communication could also lead to

unhappiness on their partner’s part and increase the chance of infidelity. It is important to

examine the participants’ ability to communicate compared to their age. This will help to see if

there is a change in communication levels generationally and if they are related to the increase in

failed relationships and infidelity. Furthermore, individuals whose parents are divorced are

probably more likely experience unhappy and unsuccessful relationships because they saw that

KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP 4

even their parents’ relationship had failed. It is necessary to examine the emotional effect divorce

has on participants’ romantic relationships.

Methodology

This study was conducted using a multiple choice survey created on Surveyplanet.com to

allow public and anonymous responses to questions. A wide range of respondents was necessary

to gather effective data. Anonymity allowed each person to answer the personal questions

truthfully. It was shared publicly on Facebook in order to gain an ample amount of participants,

and the data was collected for two weeks. The introduction asked each respondent to select one

romantic relationship for which to answer the questions. The survey begins with a few basic

demographic questions in order to gain some insights on the sample of people being studied. It

then goes on to ask questions directly related to their selected relationship and personal