According to a report by the Wheatley Institution published this week, highly religious couples are more likely to say they make “major decisions” together. Survey data from 11 countries, including the United States, found a particularly strong correlation between shared decision-making and home-centered religious practices.

Typically, researchers measure religiosity by looking at the frequency of religious church attendance. But amid a pandemic and lockdowns, the report suggests it’s worth studying additional indicators of faith commitment, especially those that take place at home.

This includes things like praying as a couple or studying the Bible as a family, as well as lighting candles for the Sabbath or worshipping at a home shrine. Even more so than attending a service together, these intimate religious practices within a couple’s own four walls appear to be associated with a variety of positive outcomes that go beyond making big decisions together.