While all of us want to have better relationships– be it professionally or personally– not many of us have them. And so, a recent study was conducted to understand what makes relationships thrive?
The results of this was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Read more details about it here.
The study
In the research, social scientists examined how two types of interpersonal knowledge in relationships can affect how people feel in their connections.
The first type of interpersonal knowledge focused on how well a person knew their partner– be it their personality, choices in life, background, and more. While the second type of interpersonal knowledge was all about how well a person believed their partner knew them– as a person, their likes and dislikes, aspirations and more.
While both types of interpersonal knowledge in relationships are important, through this study social scientists wanted to know which one is more important and makes people feel more satisfied and happy in their connections. What constitutes a happy relationship: how well you know your partner or how well they know you?
The conclusion
The study concluded that more people felt satisfied and happy in their relationships when they believed that their partner knew them quite well. The reason: People generally like to talk about themselves, want to be heard, seen and understood. “For relationships to flourish, both partners should feel like their significant other knows them well,” a report by Psychology Today read.
And this applies not just to romantic partners, but also to other relationships– like that with friends and colleagues. For instance, asking a colleague how their family is doing or if you can help them in any way in times of troubles can make them feel important and understood. This can in turn help improve their relationship.
Meanwhile, for couples, they can improve their relationship by asking deeper questions to each other– like their future plans, their fears and aspirations. This will help them get to know each other better, and grow together as a couple.
Do you agree with the study? What are your views on it? Tell us in the comments below.
