Let's Talk Relationships (Page 30)

Taking the pill may affect a woman's relationship in unexpected ways, according to academic research. The study, which consisted of nearly 2,000 participants, found women who are on the pill are less sexually satisfied but are happier overall in their relationships. Lead author Craig Roberts, of the University of Stirling in the U.K., found women who were on the pill when they met their partner reported greater...

Does your lover really mean it when they’re kind to you, or could they have ulterior motives behind their affectionate behavior? A study published in Communication Quarterly, found individuals in non-married romantic relationships express deceptive affection toward their partner an average of three times a week. Researchers described "deceptive affection" as when an individual in a romantic relationship verbally or...

So maybe you're the kind of guy who dated a few girls during college. Maybe you had a few short-term relationships but no successful long-term relationship. And you notice many of your friends are in extended relationships, so you may be wondering: "Why can't I have a relationship?" There are several common reasons why some guys, although actively dating, never had a successful long-term relationship in college, and...

Romance. It’s a million-dollar industry that creates an expectation of that Hallmark moment, when the perfect life is constructed from a few romantic gestures, an endless stream of cut flowers, candlelit meals and romantic getaways. Yes, it is perfectly feasible to meet these predefined expectations. For me, however, the key part of creating a romantic feeling is to have a moment in time where you show another...

How does weight negatively impact a relationship? A study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of Puget Sound found mixed-weight couples experienced more conflict than couples where both partners were about the same weight. Researchers looked at 43 heterosexual couples and examined the levels of conflict each couple experienced. "Mixed-weight couples were more likely to...

Can receiving a lot of emotional support from your partner be a bad thing for your health? A study found high levels of emotional support can turn into a health risk if that support doesn’t meet the recipient’s particular needs or prevents the recipient from developing self-sufficiency. Researchers, who examined data collected from more 1,800 married or cohabitating middle-aged individuals, said emotional support...

Let’s say you're seeing a woman. She's super cool and you want to take her away. But you begin to wonder… "Is it too early in the relationship? What is she going to expect?" I understand. I used to get those thoughts because I love traveling. I especially love traveling with women. I think it's one of the greatest things in the world because you get to know a woman outside of her home. It's just you, her,...

Reader Question: I started worrying my fiance didn't want me anymore. I saw him talking to this girl on Facebook that has the same name as me. So I thought it would be a genius idea to hack into his account and message her. Come to find out they have known each other for years and years. She told him about it and he has every right to be mad. He has told me he wants to work it out. I don't know how to regain his...

You want to know the secret to moving from “just dating” your man to “long-term relationship” status? Well, you are not alone. Most of us (men and women) are looking to one day find the love of our lives. We want to settle down and feel security, contentment and comfort from a partner. The thing is, we have to first forge through the beginning stages of our relationship in order to make it to “until death do us...

Just how important are the bonds between straight women and gay men when it comes to exchanging trustworthy dating advice? A study coming from the University of Texas at Austin found straight women are more trusting of "mating advice" when it comes from gay men. The study also found gay men were more likely to trust advice from straight women than from straight men or lesbians. Researchers created three Facebook...

Research shows marriage quality could impact how couples rate their own health. Christine Proulx, with the University of Missouri, said as happily married couples age, they are more likely to consider themselves healthy. Proulx looked at data collected over two decades from 707 married adults, ultimately concluding both positive and negative marriages have a big impact on how individuals rate their...

New research suggests having a close relationship with your partner doesn't necessarily mean you have a successful relationship. Study author David M. Frost, with Columbia University, said what matters most is you are as close to your partner as you want to be, even if that means not having a close relationship at all. Over the course of three years, researchers studied 732 adults and their relationships by...

A study reveals retirement may not create the sort of relationship bliss many look forward to. According to research conducted by the Skipton Building Society, eight out of 10 couples said they realized they didn't share the same interests and hobbies after retiring. The study looked at 660 retired individuals and found many of them also began to experience increased levels of relationship stress after they...

How secure an individual feels in a relationship could impact his or her health. According to a new study, individuals with high levels of attachment anxiety produce an average of 11 percent more cortisol and 11 to 22 percent more T-cells than individuals with less attachment anxiety. Lisa Jaremka, the lead author of the study with Ohio State University, asked 85 married couples about the stability of their...

Reader Question: I'm 22 and I met a 33-year-old woman. She looks like she is in her mid-20s. I told the girl I had very much enjoyed her company and hoped to see her again. She suggested I look her up on Facebook and we keep in touch. I live in Philly and she lives in Wilmington, Del. I am very attracted to her and would like to have a real date, yet I am stumped as to what to do now. I am not sure if she enjoyed...

Reader Question: My girlfriend and I have been together for about a year. There is one major issue: her coming out to her family. In the beginning, I was fine with it since I understand the coming-out process is hard. She said she can't see herself claiming to be bisexual or lesbian because she just doesn't know. She also told me we were fighting a lot recently and she doesn't want to come out to her parents and...

Research shows being single or being in a relationship impacts the way individuals treat those around them. Researchers from Stanford University and the University of Waterloo found being single or taken may influence a person's treatment of friends, family and strangers, even in situations where relationship status shouldn’t matter. According to the study, people tend to believe their lifestyle is best, so singles...

For most couples, there comes a time when you realize the passion may have gone from your relationship. Here is part two of Marni Battista's fresh ideas for how to keep your relationship thriving. If you missed part one, check out How to Rekindle the Dwindling Spark in Your Relationship. 3. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. Things as little as leaving a love note for your partner before you leave for work,...

How do couples define marital commitment? A study coming out of UCLA found what saying those vows actually means to the average person. Based on an analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of their marriage, the study’s researchers found couples tend to subscribe to one of two different models for commitment. In the first model, couples liked each other and wanted to continue their relationship. In...

A study suggests a teen's relationship with their family may determine their relationship patterns as adults. Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas found teens who experienced positive relationships with their families were more likely to experience positive marriages in their adult lives. Not only did these individuals enjoy positive adult relationships, but their spouses were also more likely to...

High amounts of alcohol consumption have often been linked to divorce, but a certain study calls this assumption into question. Researchers reviewing data accumulated by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health found couples that drink about the same amount of alcohol are less likely to divorce than couples where one partner drinks more than the other. The data looked at 19,977 married couples and tracked their...

Can you get all the benefits of marriage by simply moving in with your significant other? A new study suggests just that. The study, which was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, found cohabiting couples experience greater happiness and self-esteem than married couples, especially after the so-called “honeymoon period” ends. Researchers looked at the mental and physical well-being of 2,737 men and...

If you’re a senior single in your 50s, in addition to your desire for a new life mate, you want to add more new friends to your circle. If you're single in your 50s, that means you no longer have a spouse to take you to and from a doctor’s appointment when you need it. You might still be on good terms with an ex-spouse, but perhaps they live outside of the area. And even if you have grown kids who’d help...

Writing a relationship report three times a year helps couples sustain marital satisfaction, according to a study. Researchers at Northwestern University found couples that wrote regular reports about their relationship maintained their marital satisfaction, while couples that didn’t write reports noted a decline in their marital satisfaction. The study included 120 couples, half assigned to the writing exercise...

What’s the secret of a great relationship? A study suggests the most successful pairings are grounded in shared friendship first and passion second. Published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, the study found sharing a strong friendship with your partner is the best way to ensure a powerful, lasting commitment. The study also found couples who valued their shared friendship also enjoyed their sex...

Reader Question: I am a young 69-year-old who two years ago ended a 46-year marriage. Ten months ago, I started a relationship with a 74-year-old man. When he feels any slight indication I may be upset about something he says or does, he bolts and gets a little nasty. He writes notes that we need to apart but he still would like to see me once in a while or maybe we could be friends. Is it a bad sign? -Judith...

While it sounds like a good idea, you might want to think twice the next time you and your partner split your household chores down the middle. According to an interesting study, couples where men did none of the “women’s work” reported 1.6 times more sexual encounters than couples where men took on the bulk of the cooking and cleaning chores. Coming out of the University of Washington, the study suggests an...

Why get married? For starters, marriage might just keep you alive longer. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found single men were 58 to 66% more likely to have a heart attack than married men and single women were 60 to 65% more likely to suffer from a heart attack than their married counterparts. The study, which looked at data coming from more than 15,300 individuals who...

We all know the scenario. You’ve just returned from a party and are getting ready for bed when your partner makes a snide comment about something you said or did at the event. The sting makes hair rise on your back and you come out swinging in defensive quips. Before you know it, you are in a full-on relationship war. Old conflicts are being dug up and the war of words drags on. There’s this folklore that to...

Dogs are their own version of love machines. They are loyal and true. They never lie or cheat. They don’t steal your stuff or crash the car. They don’t scream, holler, yell or throw your belongings out the window. Dogs are really cool that way. What dogs do is bring a consistent flow of happiness into their lesbian’s life. And yes, if we have a dog, the dog owns us. We are her people. I share my life with a small...