February 14, 2017

Never mind the chocolates and the roses. All you need is love and a little bit of social science.

This Valentine’s Day, findings from Assoc. Prof. Michelle See et. al (Dept of Psychology) can not only help fan the flames of romance but also ensure that it is a love that lasts. Building upon previous research which suggests that a good understanding of one’s partner positively improves the quality of the relationship, Prof. See et. al. add that a good understanding constitutes knowing whether one’s partner is guided by emotions or beliefs in decision making and preference formation. Growing in awareness of what guides your partner’s decisions could help you to better respond to and communicate with him/her.

Should this research be put to good use, Assoc. Prof. See et. al. suggest ‘greater satisfaction, commitment, love, trust, intimacy and overall relationship quality’. With this handy tip in mind, we wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day!

The article, “Partner’s understanding of affective–cognitive meta-bases predicts relationship quality” (2015), was published in the Journal of the International Association for Relationship Research.

To read the full article, click here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/doi/10.1111/pere.12093/abstract