141: Four Keys To A Happier Marriage
Podcast Guest: Jeffrey Dew
August 11th, 2025
Listen to the Show:
In this Episode
In this episode of Stronger Marriage Connection, Dr. Dave Schramm and Dr. Liz Hale welcome Dr. Jeffery Dew, professor at BYU and family finance expert. Drawing from recent research, Dr. Dew shares four keys to building a stronger marriage: commitment, protectiveness, shared religious attendance, and regular date nights. He explains how couples can put these principles into practice, nurture emotional safety, and stay intentional in their relationship. The discussion also covers financial decision-making, advice for newlyweds, and how small, consistent actions lead to lasting marital happiness.
“The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of the Utah Marriage Commission.”
Time Markers
00:00 – Welcome and guest introduction
01:37 – Overview of recent marriage research
02:27 – Four key factors for marital happiness
03:01 – Commitment: keeping your spouse a priority
04:57 – Protectiveness: loyalty and emotional safety
07:27 – How to communicate protective needs
10:30 – Protection in parenting and family settings
12:21 – Importance of united parenting front
13:07 – Regular date nights and creative ideas
14:50 – Shared religious attendance benefits
16:34 – Bringing faith experiences into the home
18:15 – Recommended date night frequency
18:40 – Financial decision-making and budgeting together
20:19 – Advice for newlyweds on money and culture
22:57 – Research on joint bank accounts and trust
23:27 – Navigating in-laws and protectiveness
24:55 – Value of premarital education
26:17 – Key to a stronger marriage connection
27:56 – Small actions couples can control
28:32 – Takeaways from today’s episode
30:17 – Protectiveness as relationship protection
31:05 – Reconnecting after disagreements
33:30 – Story of lifelong commitment in action
33:56 – Closing remarks and final thoughts
34:15 – Subscribe and follow for more resources
Insights
Jeff
We’re not powerless in relationships—small, intentional daily actions, even without special training, can strengthen connection and create a healthier marriage.
Liz’s
Dr. Dew’s research highlights the value of staying current and shows that two or more date nights a month significantly boost commitment and protectiveness in marriage.
Dave’s
Protectiveness means prioritizing your spouse, safeguarding your relationship from harm, and standing together as a united, supportive team in all situations.
About Jeff:
Dr. Jeffrey Dew is a professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University. He received a dual-titled PhD in HDFS and Demography from the Pennsylvania State University. He taught for 7 years at Utah State University and is in his ninth year of teaching at BYU. Dr. Dew’s research focuses on how everyday matters, such as financial issues, impact marriage. For example, Dr. Dew studied how recently married couples’ changes in their consumer debt levels were related to changes in their marital quality.
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