Of the 351 couples interviewed, only 51 indicated they were unhappy and stayed together for religious reasons, the sake of the children, or family tradition. The remaining 300 couples indicated they were happy, over 85 percent of the sample. Other studies show that three of five American married couples are "very happy." Some of the reasons the couples provided for their happily married status included thinking of their spouse as their best friend, liking their spouse as a person, thinking of marriage as a long-term commitment, and the belief that marriage is sacred.