Let's Talk Relationships (Page 28)

How much do women with low self-esteem invest in their relationships compared to women with high self-esteem? According to a study, the lower a woman's self-esteem, the harder she will work to keep her man. Conducted by the University of Huddersfield in the U.K., the study found when a woman felt she was less desirable than her partner, she reported greater personal investment in maintaining her relationship. By...

How hard a couple works at sexually satisfying each other may help keep their desire burning in the long run. Conducted at the University of Toronto, a study found couples with a higher motivation toward fulfilling their partner’s needs have higher overall levels of desire from day to day. Published in the May issue of Social Psychological and Personality Science, the study involved 44 men and women ranging in ages...

Pop star Taylor Swift has a red-hot career, but it seems the media would rather focus on her string of famous boyfriends and her many heartbreaks. So what's going on with Taylor? And what can the rest of us learn from her many losses in the love wars? Taylor shares something many average women face: Difficulty in finding a peer relationship. With more women in the workforce and single, childless 20-somethings...

One of the challenges with senior singles dating is not only is the dating scene different than when you were in your 20s, the nomenclature has also changed. When you paired up back in high school and college, you referred to each other as your “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” to your family and friends. But now that you’re a midlife single segueing into an exclusive romantic relationship, are you sure you want to call...

We coach thousands of people every year in their relationships and one of the most popular questions we get from the ladies is, “How do I keep my man into me and not be another cheating statistic?” As two straight male experts, the ladies are always eager to step into our complex male brains to uncover the answer to this great question. Below are some of our top tips on how to keep your man in your bed. 1. Embrace...

The concern a bisexual man has over infidelity may depend heavily on the gender of his partner, new research suggests. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University-Schuylkill found bisexual men are more concerned about sexual infidelity if they are dating women. Social psychologist Cory Scherer and his colleagues interviewed 134 bisexual men and women, some dating within their gender and others dating the opposite...

I recently received an email from one of those large dating sites which posed the question, “Age – How Much Does it Matter?” As someone who dates intergenerationally, in gay parlance I am a Daddy (an older guy who prefers to date younger), I definitely believe age matters…to a point. You can’t imagine how much flack I receive from guys my own age for this preference. Recently I met a nice young man through a...

With the announcement that reality TV hottie Kim Kardashian and NBA star Kris Humphries have finally been declared legally divorced and pregnant Kim can safely have her baby out of wedlock, we can all breath a sigh of relief. But if you're looking for lessons in the "romance and demise" of this celebrity couple, the pitfalls all lie in the numbers: Six. Six is the number of months the star power couple dated before...

The terms gender role, gender identity and sexual orientation may seem like interchangeable terms, but the truth is they all mean something very different. And they all mean something very valuable to your relationship. Gender role. A gender role is defined by the activities that are traditionally associated with each gender. As you’ve probably noticed, gender roles aren’t static. They are constantly changing...

Did you hear the news about the young Russian girl who tattooed the name of her new boyfriend on her face after their first date? There’s been a controversial debate about this all over the Web, with some respecting the girl’s right to make decisions about her own body and others shaming her for making an impulsive choice that has now permanently “disfigured” her…all in the name of love. As gay men, we’re no...

It is quite common for married people in my counseling office to express that they're disappointed in marriage. They say marriage is not what they expected it to be. They have fantasies of a 50/50 household where the husband and wife share responsibilities, visions of a fulfilled and passionate sex life, thoughts of a best bud to share one’s daily aggravations and joys with and financial stability. Only they...

When you first join an online dating site, it’s exciting to see an overflowing inbox of people who are interested in communicating with you. The majority of people create a dating profile with the goal of retiring it and riding into the sunset together. Some people get lucky and meet someone they connect with right away. Others can stay on the dating sites for months or even years. The question you have to ask...

Research shows investing in relationships may be more important to a woman's well-being than a man's. Dr. Anna Machin, of the University of Oxford, found women invested heavily in their relationships while men kept a greater distance between themselves and their loved ones. Machin recently studied 341 men and women and questioned them on the roles, values and maintenance requirements of both their romantic...

Reader Question: My problem is I am in a long-distance relationship. It’s been fight after fight. He has become indifferent. We have overcome a lot, but I am getting tired. I have communicated this. He hangs up on me and doesn't respond to messages. I know I have a bad attitude, but I feel I am trying to speak up and solve things in a healthy manner. I feel if I don’t make an effort, this isn’t going to work....

Even strong relationships may fall prey to excessive social media use, suggests a study. Coming out of Oxford University, researcher Dr. Bernie Hogan found using social media too much may decrease relationship satisfaction. Researchers studied more than 24,000 married couples and questioned both the strength of their relationships and their activity levels across 10 different social media channels. "Using social...

In my previous post, I told you what a guy means when he says he needs space. I also told you to step back and be objective about your relationship. By this, I mean you should step back from your relationship and view it from an outsider’s perspective. What would you say to a friend in your position with your knowledge of the situation? He says he needs space. This is not a good thing. But it's also not the...

Can watching TV love stories affect a real-life romantic relationship? A study coming out of Albion College suggests it can. The study, which was published in Mass Communication and Society, found the more an individual believes TV portrayals of romance, the less likely they were to be committed to their relationships. Researchers recruited more than 390 married couples and asked them how satisfied they felt with...

In my role as a relationship coach, dovetailing goals and plans of two individuals sometimes has its challenges. Recently I encountered one couple who were at different stages in their lives. The situation was one half of the couple. We’ll call one Bill. He was established in his career, was up for a new promotion and was completing further professional qualifications. The other, we’ll call him Leo, had ambitions...

Do women or men want children more? A study found men want children almost as much as women. In a study presented at an annual conference of the British Sociological Association, 63 percent of women and 59 percent of men said they wanted children. Researcher Robin Hadley, of Keele University, found men were significantly more likely to suffer depression, feelings of isolation, anger, jealousy and sadness because...

Reader Question: This guy and I have been talking for about three years. We have never been in a relationship but have been intimate on several occasions. I recently wanted to pursue a relationship. He got mad at me and told me he's not ready. He stopped talking to me for three weeks. I told him as long as our friendship can last, a relationship is not important. Do you think he will ever change? Should I wait...

Reader Question: My name is Marie and I am 40. I have been with a guy for nearly two years. I want to live with him and have kids, but he said I keep pressuring him. According to him, things will happen naturally. What do you think? Marie (London) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Dear Marie, I’m not going to tell you what you want to hear. But I am going to tell you what you need to hear. This man has no...

Reader question: We have been together four years and I thought her children (25, 23, 20, 17) would "grow up." They all have issues with ADD, supervision, bad manners, bad grades and now drugs. She says I don't need to worry and they are not my problem. I know there has been domestic violence with three out of the four children (they attacked her). I want to save her, but she continues to tell me she doesn't need...

Reader Question: I come from a Catholic family and was recently in a relationship with someone who came from a Jehovah's Witnesses family. Even though neither of us is practicing our faiths, he wants to give it another try with the possibility of marriage. Will it ever work? -Mandy (Canada) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Dear Mandy, I think what you’re actually saying is the two of you are interested in...

Last week I shared the first part of an ongoing series about online dating profile unplugging. It’s always one of the most popular questions singles looking for love online ask me. This is *Robin’s question: “Do I or don’t I ask him to take down his profile? We’ve been dating for a while, but I see he’s still logging on.” In this scenario, after only three dates with *Tim, Robin assumed they were in an...

Can marriage make a couple gain weight? That depends on how satisfied the couple is. A Southern Methodist University study found when couples are more satisfied in their marriage, they are more likely to gain weight. However, couples considering divorce (or even taking steps to separate) are more likely to lose weight. Dr. Andrea Meltzer, assistant professor of psychology, and her co-authors followed 169 newlyweds...

Marriage is the end goal for a lot of daters out there, especially those men and women who are tired of playing the field and going on unsuccessful date after unsuccessful date. Our 10 Best Marriage Blogs offer the best tips for the marriage-minded individuals. Say goodbye to your single days! Happy Wives...

More than ever before women are feeling comfortable moving in with men prior to marriage, according to the National Survey of Family Growth. Researchers found 74 percent of women ages 15 to 44 have lived with a man before marriage by the time they're 30, compared to 26 percent of women by the time they're 20. The study consisted of interviews from 12,279 women between 2006 and 2010 and also included data from...

According to a study coming out of the University of Central Florida, porn use and cheating may go hand in hand. The study found people in committed relationships who view porn are more likely to cheat than those who don't. Researchers looked at porn use among participants and then touched base with those participants 12 weeks later to see if they had cheated during that time. "Researchers found participants who...

I must warn you that what I am about to tell you may not be what you want to read. I would like you to understand I am telling you this to help you, not to hurt you. When a guy says he needs space, it is not a good thing. You see, men will usually tell you what they need. Although, more often than not, it is only after extreme pressure has been applied. That pressure may be direct or indirect. Either way, he...

Reader Question: I've been dating this guy since last June. We see each other twice a week for a few hours and text each other daily. We are both divorced and have kids, so we usually only get one "alone time" date. I've only been divorced for a year and a half. He's been divorced for eight years. Is it wrong of me to want more, or am I being selfish? -Robyn (New York) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Dear...