TY - JOUR
T1 - I Want Our Relationship to Last
T2 - Strategies That People Employ in Order to Improve Their Intimate Relationships
AU - Apostolou, Menelaos
AU - Argyridou, Maria
AU - Nikoloudi, Eirini Evaggelia
AU - Lajunen, Timo Juhani
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022/10/1
Y1 - 2022/10/1
N2 - Intimate relationships are not always easy to keep. Accordingly, the current research has attempted to identify the strategies that people employ in order to improve their relationships with their partners. In particular, by using open-ended questionnaires in a sample of 219 Greek-speaking participants, we have identified 81 acts that people were likely to perform toward this end. Subsequently, using quantitative research methods in a sample of 511 Greek-speaking participants, we classified these acts into 14 broader relationship enhancement strategies. Trying to understand partners' needs, discussing problems with partners and showing more interest in a partner, were among the most likely to be used strategies. Moreover, we asked a sample of 367 Greek-speaking participants to rate how effective these strategies would be on them, and we found that, trying to understand partners' needs, discussing problems with partners, and showing one's love to a partner, were rated as the most effective strategies. Men and women, and people of different ages, were generally in agreement over what strategies they were willing to use, and how effective these strategies would be on improving their relationship with their partners.
AB - Intimate relationships are not always easy to keep. Accordingly, the current research has attempted to identify the strategies that people employ in order to improve their relationships with their partners. In particular, by using open-ended questionnaires in a sample of 219 Greek-speaking participants, we have identified 81 acts that people were likely to perform toward this end. Subsequently, using quantitative research methods in a sample of 511 Greek-speaking participants, we classified these acts into 14 broader relationship enhancement strategies. Trying to understand partners' needs, discussing problems with partners and showing more interest in a partner, were among the most likely to be used strategies. Moreover, we asked a sample of 367 Greek-speaking participants to rate how effective these strategies would be on them, and we found that, trying to understand partners' needs, discussing problems with partners, and showing one's love to a partner, were rated as the most effective strategies. Men and women, and people of different ages, were generally in agreement over what strategies they were willing to use, and how effective these strategies would be on improving their relationship with their partners.
KW - improving relationships
KW - mating
KW - mating strategies
KW - relationship difficulties
KW - relationship enhancement strategies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144636145&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/14747049221147154
DO - 10.1177/14747049221147154
M3 - Article
C2 - 36567505
AN - SCOPUS:85144636145
SN - 1474-7049
VL - 20
JO - Evolutionary Psychology
JF - Evolutionary Psychology
IS - 4
ER -