WASHINGTON BLADE: A 12-year research study comparing gay and straight couples has found that . . . at the end of the study, which lasted from 1987 to 1999, 20 percent of the gay couples had broken up, while nearly 40 percent of the straight relationships dissolved. The study was conducted by two psychologists John Gottman of the University of Washington and Robert Levenson of the University of California at Berkeley who compared 40 gay couples with 40 straight couples. According to Gottman and Levenson, who are straight, their research is apparently the first observational study of gay relationships . . . Observing the way each couple negotiated differences, the researchers found that, compared to straight couples, the 20 gay male and 20 lesbian couples were more upbeat in the face of conflict and used more affection and humor in dealing with it. Gay partners were more positive when receiving criticism, and the couples were also more likely to remain positive after a disagreement. "When it comes to emotions," said Gottman, "we think that these [gay] couples may operate with very different principles than straight couples. Straight couples may have a lot to learn from gay and Lesbian relationships." Same-sex couples, Gottman suggests, don't have to deal with the gender conflicts over power that he says pervade heterosexual relationships.