Risk Patterns & Red Flags
The specific communication habits relationship research links to breakdown — named one at a time, so you can actually recognize them instead of just feeling like "something's off."
Criticism or Complaint? The Difference That Predicts Whether Your Relationship Survives
A healthy complaint and character-attacking criticism sound similar in the moment. The difference matters more than almost anything else you say in a fight.
Contempt: The Emotion Gottman Calls the Most Alarming Signal in a Couple
Sarcasm, eye-rolling, mockery — contempt is treated as a category apart from ordinary anger, and it often hides behind "I'm just joking."
Breakup riskBreakup Risk: The 4 Patterns That Predict a Split
Decades of relationship research point to four specific habits — and they're more reversible than you'd think.
Toxicity12 Signs of a Toxic Relationship (Backed by Psychology)
The four communication patterns researchers say predict relationship breakdown — plus eight other signs worth knowing.
See how your own relationship scores on criticism, contempt, and the other patterns covered here.
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