Is it financial or emotional bankruptcy that cripples relationships?

To kick off the OU’s Brainteaser Month (#BrainteaserMonth) campaign in January, a month renowned for financial poverty and which features ‘Divorce Day’ on 8 January, OU academics look at whether it is financial or emotional bankruptcy that cripples relationships.

In the video below, Jacqui Gabb, Professor of Sociology and Intimacy and Professor Mark Fenton-O’Creevy, Associate Dean, External Engagement in the Faculty of Business & Law, look at what it is that goes wrong in relationships. Is it just money that causes this or are arguments about money just a symptom of deeper emotional issues?

January is Brainteaser Month and the OU is using this opportunity to encourage followers to do some lateral thinking. Over the course of the month, the OU will post some brainteasers on Facebook, and OU academics will explain the theory behind them and encourage audiences to share their own.

About the academics

Jacqui Gabb is Professor of Sociology and Intimacy in the OU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She leads the ‘Intimacies and the Private Sphere’ work stream in the Citizenship and Governance strategic research area.

Read more about Professor Gabb’s research

Professor Mark Fenton-O’Creevy is Professor of Organisational Behaviour at The Open University Business School and Associate Dean External Engagement. He has a long standing interest in the work, behaviour and performance of professional traders and the role of emotion in financial decision-making for traders and investors.

Read more about Professor Fenton O’Creevy’s research