Want to know how to make your relationship take off? The researchers devoted themselves to investigating some of the strategies that people typically adopt in this task and discovered which were the most effective.
Read more: Don’t ignore the signs! 5 signs that your relationship is on the brink of collapse
Interesting conclusions
The study, conducted by a team from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus and published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, brought together Greek-speaking men and women of different ages. They ran three separate experiments to come to some interesting conclusions.
The first experiment
In the first experiment, 219 participants were asked to use their imagination and position themselves in an emotional connection. They answered a series of questions about past behavior and what they would do in the future to improve their life together. From these responses, 81 different actions were identified.
The second experiment
In the second experiment, 511 participants had access to the above actions and needed to rate the likelihood of adopting them to improve the relationship.
The third experiment
In the third experiment, with 367 people, the process was very similar.
After analyzing all the responses, the researchers were able to identify 14 broader strategies that people often use to improve their relationship. And guess which one was the most effective?
- try to understand the other’s needs;
- discussing problems with a partner or partner;
- Show interest in your loved ones.
Interestingly, self-centered efforts, such as grooming or self-improvement, were the least effective and least used strategies.
But look! Men and women differed in one specific action: men were more willing to make concessions and compromises. In addition, women have found it more effective to show interest in their partner and avoid distancing and complaining.
Now, it should be noted that this study was conducted on a sample of Greek people, so it is possible that the results may not apply to other cultures. It is also important to note that the survey was based on subjective statements, which may lead to biased responses.
But despite these caveats, the researchers believe that this analysis can serve as a starting point for future theoretical and experimental research. Moreover, it can be an inspiration for those who want to build successful relationships, offering effective ideas for strengthening emotional bonds.
