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It sounds like they specifically attempted to avoid that reasoning by taking the decision away from the couples: "In a six-wave longitudinal experiment, we inve
by majormajor 3y ago
It sounds like they specifically attempted to avoid that reasoning by taking the decision away from the couples: "In a six-wave longitudinal experiment, we investigated whether randomly assigning engaged or newlywed couples to merge their money in a joint bank account increases relationship quality over time."
I would like to see more of this by income level, though, which isn't mentioned in the abstract. If you don't have much, and you have separate accounts, I certainly see how it results in more resentment, feeling that one of you is having to sacrifice or do more. That lines up with their findings of joint account promoting feelings of cohesiveness. If you are making more, it seems like it would be less of a significant factor in the relationship.
- sidewndr46 3y agooh god, I just realized this study is based off self reporting isn't it? In other words couples are happier when they perceive they have a joint checking account with no separate accounts.
- jlokier 3y agoI think just seeing double the balance (or much more for high income disparity households) on bank statements due to being assigned to the joint-account cohort seems likely to make a lot of people feel more psychologically secure by itself, regardless of how their relationship is going. But that does count as happier.