Scientists, in their quest to find answers to all the questions related to love, came to truly surprising conclusions. Common myths have been debunked and we have to accept and use more and more new information about relationships.
Sometimes the advice of scientists is really helpful and helps us find love or prevent our relationships from breaking down. We found 6 new psychological studies that are useful for those who want to understand what love is.
6. Everything Depends On The First Kiss
A study conducted by the University of Oxford revealed that the initial kiss can be used to assess aspects of the physical fitness of a potential man or woman.
As a general rule, kissing is considered very important when it comes to long-term relationships (especially for women).
The results showed that the initial hypothesis that the main function of kisses is to increase arousal levels is actually wrong.
5. People Who’ve Been Living With Each Other For More Than 25 Years Develop Similar Facial Features
Scientists at the University of Michigan have studied the convergence in the physical appearance of spouses. The results show that after 25 years together, there is an increase in apparent similarity.
Additionally, an increase in resemblance was associated with higher reported marital happiness.
Among the explanations examined for this phenomenon, one based on the theory of emotional efference showed promise. This theory assumes that emotional processes produce vascular changes that are regulated by the facial muscles.
4. Romantic Movies Help Partners Save Their Marriage
A new 3-year study has shown that the risk of divorce decreases if spouses watch and talk about romantic movies.
After watching these movies, the two partners have a better understanding of what they are doing right and wrong when interacting with each other.
Therefore, there are fewer conflicts and misunderstandings.
3. The Photo Of A Loved One Reduces Pain
A new study shows that just looking at a loved one’s photo can help reduce pain. Holding or touching the hand of a loved one helps in the same way.
The study included women who had been in a good relationship with their boyfriends for at least 6 months. During the experiment, they reported their pain levels while looking at photographs of their boyfriends, strangers, and a chair.
The photos of the couples really helped the women endure the pain. We often think that social support should be expressed through actions or with the help of words. But the experiment shows that even an image can have a great impact.
2. Modern Marriages Require Self-realization
Eli J. Finkel, along with his colleagues at Northwestern University, studied the main reasons for the divorce. The results showed that in modern relationships, partners expect more psychological satisfaction, whereas in the past they wanted to satisfy their need for security.
People think that their marriage will help them meet their needs for self-esteem and fulfillment. To meet these needs, sufficient time and psychological resources are required.
If there aren’t enough resources, or one partner doesn’t want to try, the other partner becomes frustrated.
In that case, the other spouse should reconsider the expectations of the marriage so as not to be disappointed.
1. Men With Higher IQs Are Less Likely To Cheat On Their Partners
Scientists at Saint Louis University have found that men with higher IQs are less likely to betray their partners. The authors analyzed the results of research involving thousands of adults and teens and revealed that the smartest men value monogamy and sexual exclusivity.
For women, the IQ level had no impact on their loyalty.
Which paragraph did you find the most interesting? Is there any unusual data you would like to add to this list?
