A new study by a team of Iowa State University researchers concluded that women really are "the Boss" at home.

The study included 72 couples from Iowa, all in their thirties, who had been married for seven years. All stated they were reasonably happy within their marriage.

The spouses were rated based on a widely accepted interaction rating system, which consists of five dimensions of demand and withdraw behaviors--avoidance, discussion, blame, pressure for change, and withdrawal.

The women turned out to be more dominant and domineering when discussing problems and possible solutions, which is believed to point to women taking greater responsibility for the relationship.

According to the researchers, "...Women were communicating more powerful messages and men were responding to those messages by agreeing or giving in."

This reminds me of a previous study, where they found a more logical key ingredient to happy marital relations, namely HUMOR. 

Women who raised issues in a non-negative manner, using humor to "soften up" their husband, were more successful in getting their husbands to agree with them. And, husbands who accepted this influence from their wives were also happier.

Humor is indeed a powerful tool that has positive effects on everything from your marital health to your immune system. So. Don't forget to laugh--with each other, and at yourselves.

EurekAlert July 5, 2007