Marriage Studies: The Most Fascinating Research In 2012

Even though fewer people are getting hitched than ever before, 2012 was still full of compelling and unexpected new revelations about marriage.

From health benefits to interracial marriage to couples' drinking habits, researchers delved into many facets of marriage, and the results were fascinating -- and sometimes contradictory. Click through the slideshow below for a round up of the most interesting findings of the year.

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According to a Brigham Young University study, couples reported lower marital satisfaction when one spouse's gaming interfered with bedtime routines. Seventy-five percent of gamers' spouses wished their partners would put more effort into their marriages; however, when both spouses gamed, a majority reported greater satisfaction in their relationships.

It turns out couples are happiest AFTER their first year of marriage, according to an Australian study. Newlyweds were found to have a lower happiness score than couples who had been married longer. Researcher Melissa Weinberg attributed this to a "wedding hangover," or the depressed feeling couples get when the wedding is over and the marriage begins.

Florida State University researchers discovered that short-term angry discussions can actually be beneficial. Getting angry can help signal that certain behavior from your partner is unacceptable, said lead researcher James McNulty.

A study released in January found that the health benefits of marriage decrease over time, and that couples who cohabitate but remain unmarried experience greater happiness and self-esteem.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that having sexual intercourse at a later age corresponded with less dissatisfaction with relationships in adulthood. Higher education level and household income also corresponded to a later age of first sexual experience.

Not only are more interracial couples marrying, but interracial marriage is more widely accepted than ever before. In 2010, 15 percent of new marriages in the U.S. were between spouses of different races; in 1980, only 6.7 percent of marriages were interracial.

Studies show that married couples experience lower levels of cancer, heart disease, depression and stress. The health benefits are even more pronounced for marrieds than for couples who are simply cohabiting.

A survey found that 86 percent of single and married people aged 18-29 expect their marriages to last a lifetime. Researcher Jeffrey Jensen Arnett told HuffPost that young people tend to have a romantic view of marriage and go into marriage determined to make it work.

A study on marriage and alcohol found that women drink more after getting married, possibly because they are influenced by their husbands (on average, men drink more than women). Men, on the other hand, were found to drink less after getting hitched.

Here's another reason to get along with your in-laws -- unless you're a woman, that is. A 26-year longitudinal study found that when a husband reported having a close relationship with his wife's parents, the couple's risk of divorce decreased by 20 percent. Conversely, when a wife reported having a close relationship with her husband's parents, the couple's risk of divorce increased by 20 percent.

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