Why older couples bicker less

COUPLES tend to argue less and laugh more the longer they are married – but only after many years together.

A 25-year study of 150 married couples found those together after up to 35 years had replaced bickering with humour.

And rather than getting bored with each other, older couples develop a deeper bond as children leave home and parents and relatives die.

The findings also suggest that marriage is good for mental health, said the report by the University of California at Berkeley for the journal Emotion.

As part of the study, couples took part in 15-minute recorded sessions together every few years over 13 years while researchers analysed their listening and speaking traits plus facial expressions and body language.

They noticed more “prickly arguments” during the early years of marriage which gradually gave way to “humour and acceptance”.

As the years went by, there was a drop in defensiveness and criticism. Sold off... the collection of Houdini’s cast iron shackles and locks