"Determining whether your romantic relationship will last may seem like a formidable task. Who knows what obstacles might get in the way of its future? One of you could meet another person and that would be the end of it, or maybe you'll get bored or frustrated, spelling that the end is nigh. It might surprise you to realize that the answer is right there in front of you when you're talking to your partner."
"Close relationship researchers are constantly trying to zero in on the key factors that affect relationship stability. Villanova University's Erica Slotter and colleagues (2023) had the idea that it's not the "big things" that determine a couple's fate, but the little, day-to-day interactions that make it possible to chart their course. Though little, these interactions can take on outsize proportions if things start to go south in the middle of a disagreement."
Many everyday cues in couples' interactions indicate the likely future of the relationship. Relationships can be understood along two dimensions: dominance and warmth. Dominance interactions follow complementarity where dominance elicits submission and submission elicits dominance, shaping power dynamics over time. Warmth interactions follow complementarity where warmth elicits warmth and coldness elicits coldness, reinforcing emotional tone. Small, day-to-day exchanges during disagreements can magnify these patterns and steer relationship stability. Paying attention to who speaks, what is said, and how partners respond during minor conflicts helps identify whether interactions will resolve positively or escalate into persistent negative cycles.
Read at Psychology Today
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