Internet Therapy To Save Marriages

COURANT -- May 7 -- eHarmony claims its scientific system is responsible for 118 marriages a day. The site has expanded into couples counseling in the past two years with eHarmony Marriage, an online therapy service for people who are married or in committed relationships. There's no traditional talk therapy involved. Instead, couples answer an extensive questionnaire and receive a computerized assessment of their relationship's strengths and weaknesses. Based on that information, eHarmony prescribes a series of self-directed exercises and interactive videos that target their trouble areas — communication, intimacy and conflict resolution, for example.

Comments

[Fernando Ardenghi]

"eHarmony claims its scientific system is responsible for 118 marriages a day."

118 marriages a day?

Do eHarmony also know how many of those marriages end in divorce after a couple of years?
OR
Do eHarmony know if any of those marriages end in divorce after a couple of years?

Regards,

Fernando Ardenghi.
Buenos Aires.
Argentina.
[email protected]

[James Houran]

Obviously it's not in EH's interest to ask that question, but my team is asking it. This issue of the success of online dating marriages has been increasingly posed by numerous reporters, so my team is running a study on this very issue.

Stay tuned for results!

Thanks,

James Houran, Ph.D.
OnlineDatingMagazine.com

[JB]

I don't even believe they have 118 couples that meet and like each other each day. I hate statistics that can't be proven. I've never even talked to 1 person that
recommends EH over the other sites.

[Jeff Siddiqui]

The actual number is 240 members "on average" get married every day.

Source:Harris Interactive Study

[James Houran]

I have not seen confirmation that the Harris Interactive Study was a peer-reviewed, truly independent evaluation. My suspicion it was an EH marketing tactic and not legitimate research per se.

And Fernando is correct to ask, "So, how many of those EH marriages had/have staying power?" Current statistical trends would predict that around 50% of those "120 average daily marriages" will end in divorce.

EH should really track the divorce rate among their members and report the exact statistics to be academically sound and ethically responsible to consumers. It would help put their marketing hype into proper perspective.

Thanks,

James Houran, Ph.D.
OnlineDatingMagazine.com

[Markus]

1. How many years on average do people date before getting married?

2. How long after getting married is the average divorce?

[James Houran]

Markus,

Do you mean worldwide or in North America?

Thanks,

James Houran, Ph.D.
OnlineDatingMagazine.com