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Researchers: Be true to yourself and better romance will follow

03/15/2010 19:57
Researchers: Be true to yourself and better romance will follow - relationship - Science - research - lifestyle


According to a new study, people who are more true to themselves, have more positive and healthy dating relationships.



The study, published in the journal "Personality and Individual Differences", examined how dating relationships were affected by the ability of people to see themselves clearly and objectively, act in ways consistent with their beliefs, and interact honestly and truthfully with others.

62 heterosexual couples, all college students, participated in the research. They were asked to complete a long list of questionnaires in three separate stages that took place about two weeks apart.

The first set of questionnaires examined how true participants were to themselves, through the answers to questions like "For better or for worse, I am aware of who I truly am."

In the second stage, participants answered questions investigating various aspects of their relationship functioning, including their willingness to discuss their emotions with their partner, and whether they kept secrets.

The third stage involved measures of relationship satisfaction and personal well-being.

The study concluded that both men and women who were said to be true to themselves also behaved in more intimate and less destructive ways with their partner, and that led to them feeling their relationship was more positive. In addition, they also spoke of greater personal well-being.

"If you're true to yourself, it is easier to act in ways that build intimacy in relationships, and that's going to make your relationship more fulfilling," Amy Brunell, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University's Newark campus said.
However, the study highlighted an interesting gender difference: partners of men, who were more true to themselves, showed more healthy relationship behaviors. But, there was no significant relation between women being true to themselves and men's behaviors in relationships.



[Via Physorg.com]


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