5. Being overly affectionate as newlyweds

Going forward with our list of things that predict divorce, we have something that may surprise you. If you’re not inclined to kiss, hug, and hold hands as newlyweds, that may be a problem. However, if you’re one of those couples who have to be pulled apart, that may also be a problem.

Psychologist Ted Huston followed 168 married couples for 13 years—from their wedding day onward. Huston and his colleagues conducted several interviews with the couples throughout the study. The results were published in 2001, and there’s an interesting finding there.

According to the study, the couples who divorced after seven or more years were, as newlyweds, almost giddily affectionate, showing around one third more affection than did couples who were later happily married.

The scientists pointed out that those who start their marriages with romantic bliss are divorce-prone because such intensity is too difficult to maintain. In other words, studies show that marriages that start out with less Hollywood romance generally have more promising futures.