A transition point in romantic relationships may signal the beginning of their end

[erronis]

https://phys.org/news/2025-03-transition-romantic-relationships.html

(I know this doesn't appear to be "Science" in DU' categories but it is the best fit, at least for me.)

The end of a romantic relationship usually does not come out of the blue but is indicated one or two years before the breakup. As the results of a psychological study have demonstrated, the terminal stage of a relationship consists of two phases. First, there is a gradual decline in relationship satisfaction, reaching a transition point one to two years before the dissolution of the relationship.

"From this transition point onwards, there is a rapid deterioration in relationship satisfaction. Couples in question then move towards separation," said Professor Janina Bühler from the Institute of Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). She conducted the corresponding investigation in collaboration with Professor Ulrich Orth of the University of Bern. Their paper was recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Analysis built on national studies from Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands

It is a common fact that satisfaction in a romantic relationship declines over time. This reduction in satisfaction is particularly marked in the first years of a relationship, and a distinctive low point is often reached after a period of 10 years. Instead of considering the processes that occur in the time-since-beginning of a romantic relationship, Janina Bühler and Ulrich Orth decided to look at the time-to-separation of relationships for the purposes of their research.

. . .

I've had plenty of personal experience with the timelines laid out in the article. Plus or minus, they seem to be about right.