Learning about love from arranged marriages; then the science behind online dating

Guests:  ROBERT EPSTEIN, REVA SETH and BENJAMIN KARNEY

The notion of an arranged marriage (by choice) seems odd to most of us but several recent studies have found that such unions are just as likely, if not more likely, to result in extremely loving, satisfying long-term relationships. What may differentiate arranged marriages from those based solely on love is that both people enter the marriage with a deep commitment to making it work, culturally shared values and goals, and a supportive extended family — all of which helps a deep connection thrive and meaningful love grow. So are there lessons to be learned from successful arranged marriages when it comes to finding a mate and staying together over the long haul? In the first segment of this hour of Radio Times we’re joined by psychologist ROBERT EPSTEIN, who studies arranged marriages and how we can make love build and endure over time; and REVA SETH, author of First Comes Marriage: Modern Advice from the Wisdom of Arranged Marriages. Then we’ll continue our conversation about finding love  with UCLA social psychologist BENJAMIN KARNEY, who has co-authored a study on the science behind online dating.

Photo by Flickr user Dan Klimke