romance | SPSP

The Pursuit of Romantic Alternatives Disguised as Friends on Social Media

young couple sitting at restaurant: man looking bored while women is browsing smart phone

The developing flames of interest in alternatives can smother the primary relationship.

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Are Your Close Friendships Harming Your Romantic Relationship?

Group of people men and women screaming in megaphones at sad depressed young couple

Having your psychological needs met by people other than your partner is great for your well-being but can be problematic for your relationship.

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If They’re Happy, I’m Happy: Why Being Agreeable Increases Relationship Satisfaction

Ever wonder the justification behind the saying, “If they’re happy, then I’m happy?” How about the saying, “Happy wife, happy life?” Are these statements really true, and if they are, to what extent and why?

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Why “Just Go For It” is Bad Dating Advice

Photo of a Woman refusing a red heart from a man

People underestimate how uncomfortable their unwanted romantic advances can make the person on the receiving end.

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Can Being a Good Storyteller Lead to Love?

By Melanie Green

Everyone loves a good story, but can a good story lead to love?

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Think You Love Your Valentine? What’s Beneath the Surface may Be More Complicated

Candy hearts cover the image, with one standing up with I heart you stamped on the front.

Valentine cards are filled with expressions of unequivocal adoration and appreciation. That’s fitting for the holiday set aside to express love and reaffirm commitment to one’s romantic partner.

But what if there’s more going on below the surface of these adoring declarations? How might thoughts and feelings that people are not even aware of shape their romantic relationships?

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The Relationship Implications of Rejecting a Partner for Sex Kindly Versus Having Sex Reluctantly

Image of woman sitting on the edge of the bed, upset/thinking, with man frustrated laying in bed

Romantic couples often find themselves in situations in which partners have discrepant levels of sexual desire, and research shows that conflicts of interest about sex predict negative relationship outcomes and are among the most difficult types of relationship issues to resolve.

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Knowing Who You Are Matters in Relationships

Illustration of man and woman looking at a mirror

We’re often told that it’s important to “know thyself.” Although this advice might sound a bit clichéd, it turns out that knowing who we are makes a difference in our romantic relationships.

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Talk About Your Body!

By Alex Danvers

Charlotte Markey only had one couple get in a fight as a result of her study—mildly surprising, given that she forced same-sex romantic partners to rate what they thought their partner’s ideal body shape was in front of each other.

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The Skills that Make Us a Good Partner Make Us a Good Parent

Being a good partner may make you a better parent, according to a new study. The same set of skills that we tap to be caring toward our partners is what we use to nurture our children, researchers found.

The study sought to examine how caregiving plays out in families – "how one relationship affects another relationship,” says Abigail Millings of the University of Bristol, lead author of the work published online this week in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

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