“…A couple's relationship can deteriorate gradually when there is a lack of order and predictability, a phenomenon referred to as entropy. For decades, family and leisure scholars have suggested that couples should spend their time together in rituals, routines, and recreation to provide predictable, regular interactions that enhance couples' relationships (e.g., Doherty, ; Fiese, ; Orthner, ; Schwab & Dustin, ; Zabriskie & McCormick, ). Scholars from these fields describe the positive association between family leisure activities and family bonding (Fiese, ; Hodge et al, , Orthner & Mancini, 1990; Townsend, Van Puymbroeck, & Zabriskie, ; Zabriskie & McCormick, ); yet no studies from these fields have examined the underlying mechanisms of family leisure activities that produce family bonding.…”