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The First Steps Towards Asimov's Psychohistory?

lawrencekhoo writes "The Chronicle of Higher Education has an interesting article about the Gottman Institute's (a.k.a. the love lab) work on modeling the dynamics of marital conversations. These models are described in John Gottman et. al.'s recent book The Mathematics of Marriage: Dynamic Nonlinear Models (MIT Press). Should be an interesting read for anyone who ever wondered if human interactions could be mathematically modeled."

24 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. The married life by mao+che+minh · · Score: 5, Funny
    "...modeling the dynamics of marital conversations.."

    Most marital conversations I witness involve ditching the kids, how much the man drank with his buddies last night, why the hell is he always looking at her bimbo sister with big boobs, and for what reason did the woman decide that it would be a good idea to pay $100 for that purse.

    1. Re:The married life by jumpingfred · · Score: 3, Funny

      Only $100 for a purse? I should be so lucky.

    2. Re:The married life by infinite9 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Unmarried huh? You almost got it.

      What she says:

      1. How do we ditch the kids?

      2. Why do you pay more attention to your buddies than me?

      3. Why do you pay more attention to that computer than me?

      4. Do you think that woman's attractive?

      5. I can pay $100 for a new purse, but you can't pay $49.95 for a new game (see #3)

      6. You don't care about my feelings.

      7. You're not sensitive to my needs.

      8. Why don't you do something constructive.

      9. Rub my feet.

      10. Do we have to do that again? Why can't we just cuddle?

      What I say:

      1. How do we ditch the kids?

      2. Would you please stop grooming me!

      3. Would you please stop parking in the dead center of the garage!

      4. Would you please stop falling asleep in the dead center of the bed!

      5. Not everything is cooked on 10.

      6. For the last time, here's how to use the tivo.

      --
      Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
    3. Re:The married life by oaf357 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hmm... this sounds SOOOO familiar.

    4. Re:The married life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I always get the last word in a marital conversation.... "Yes, dear"

  2. Here's what it says by stendec · · Score: 3, Funny
    Well I can't seem to log into the article, so I'll give a guess as to what it says...

    Researcher1: Is there anything to marital conversations other than shouting at the spouse?

    Researcher2: NEVER! There's only one way to win a conversation: shout, shout, and shout again!!

    Researcher1: You don't think that understanding and compromise have anything to do with it?

    Researcher2: NO! It's all down to shouting. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!!!

  3. Finally! by still_sick · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Should be an interesting read for anyone who ever wondered if human interactions could be mathematically modeled."

    Finally, an answer to the question that has kept me awake at night tossing and turning for the past 17 years!

    --
    ...Also, I didn't know Buggalo could fly.
  4. The SIMS by kermyt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mathmatical modeling of human relationships?
    I thought that was the Sims!

  5. Re:movie ever in the making for the Foundation Ser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Speaking of Psychohistory, I think you are a really big sci fi nerd.

  6. If it was only $100... by TibbonZero · · Score: 3, Funny

    on the purse...
    (Never let her find a Gucci store in the area)
    j/k

    --
    Tibbon
    tibbon.com
  7. Can someone who's rtfa answer my question? by jspoon · · Score: 3, Funny

    What kind of slide rule did they use?

  8. From the article... by gusnz · · Score: 4, Funny

    (BTW: a working link)

    scoring each sentence and facial expression on such measures as disgust (-3), affection (+4), whining (-1), and contempt (-4).

    Aargh! They've discovered the Slashcode 3.0 moderation system! Someone stop them before it's too late!

  9. not only that... by Hubert_Shrump · · Score: 5, Funny

    This will kick open the doors for plenty of old-school D&D action!

    Wife attacks! You are wounded in the (rolls die) pride.

    Don drunkenness.

    Roll die for level of drunkenness.

    7

    Your wounds' severity subsides.

    Go out in shop, try to put lawnmower back together.

    Wife follows! She is on the phone with your sister! Sister attacks!

    --
    Keep your packets off my GNU/Girlfriend!
  10. Proof that the Seldon plan is not so far fetched: by timothy · · Score: 2, Funny

    GNOME.

    KDE.

    Each seemingly (at times) at odds, each carefully planned by a shadowy and secret originator to ensure that the job each thinks is its own will (we hope) be done.

    But marital conversations? No. That's just too far out.

    --
    jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
  11. i feel so, so sorry by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    for gottman's wife

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  12. but woman are not logical by Billly+Gates · · Score: 3, Funny
    You can not know how they think logically or mathmatically. They are an unkown.

    Of course they are responsible for %100 of the problems in a relationship. Since men are perfect and think rationally the problem can not be with us. We all know the truth here.

    I think the mathmatically answer is easy. If a+ rand(time(0))!=b then a=b. Or let A live alone and use porn to cure sexual fustration.

  13. If love is maths... by Rui+del-Negro · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...then women are irrational numbers. ;-)

    RMN
    ~~~

    1. Re:If love is maths... by hsuwh · · Score: 2, Funny

      Strange attractors, n'est-ce pas?

      (Sorry, had to say that. What do I owe the pun fund?

      --
      ICQ: 28651394 = AIM/MSN/YIM: hsuwh = www.livejournal.com/~banazir
  14. Re:Psychohistory? by reiggin · · Score: 2, Funny
    Um. I know why we broke up. Because she was an insufferable bitch.

    How would that knowledge have kept us from having the problem in the first place?

  15. the primary equation by bestguruever · · Score: 2, Funny

    I actually worked out the primary equation years ago:
    happiness = 1 / ( 7 - years of marriage )

    Thankfully I only have six more months before the whole equation is undefined

    wow, I just notice that putting whitespace around operators is now automatic.

    --
    if you think this is bad, you should have seen my last sig
  16. Or for slashdot readers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Women are IMAGINARY numbers

  17. Well, if they're modelling women by Quila · · Score: 2, Funny

    Then Chaos Theory must be in this somewhere big-time.

  18. Model this by mikosullivan · · Score: 2, Funny
    Me: dear...
    Wife: Dear
    Me: Dear
    Wife: Dear
    Me: Dear!
    Wife: DEAR!

    long pause, we look at each other with arched eyebrows

    Me: Dear!
    Wife: Dear...

    and on it goes...

    --
    Miko O'Sullivan
  19. Re:Psychohistory? by GnarlyNome · · Score: 2, Funny

    Except for one thing .. Asmoiv knew nothing about Chaos theory and around my house there is a lot of chaos

    --
    Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock. Will Rogers