What Does Couple Time Tell Us About the Potential Value of Date Nights?
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In the second edition of The Date Night Opportunity Report, researchers Brad Wilcox and Jeffrey Dew research the importance of regular couple date nights. About half (48%) of couples surveyed went on date nights once or twice a month. These respondents who spent intentional time alone together had obvious positive consequences. This report was a joint effort between Wheatley Institute and The National Marriage Project. Here are the benefits of a twice-monthly date night:
Happier marital relationship
- 83% of wives and 84% of husbands who had regular date nights were very happy in their marriages, compared to 68% of wives and 70% of husbands who did not have regular date nights.
More stable marriage
- Wives and husbands in the frequent date nights group were about 14% more likely to report that divorce “was not at all likely” in the future.
Better communication
- 71% of wives and 77% of husbands who had regular date nights were very happy with their communication, compared to 51% of wives and 59% of husbands who did not have regular date nights.
More sexual satisfaction
- 68% of wives and 67% of husbands who had regular date nights were very happy with their sexual relationship, compared to 47% of wives and 47% of husbands who did not have regular date nights.
More commitment to marriage
- 75% of wives and 73% of husbands who had regular date nights reported being very committed to their marriage, compared to 53% of wives and 57% of husbands who did not have regular date nights.
About the Authors
Brad Wilcox is the Future of Freedom fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Jeffrey Dew is a Fellow at the Wheatley Institute, a Senior Fellow at the National Marriage Project, and an Associate Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University.
About Wheatley Institute
Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University engages students, scholars, thought leaders, and the public in research-supported work that fortifies the core institutions of the family, religion, and constitutional government.