Fairness in relationships isn't necessarily mathematical equality.
Research on equity distinguishes between receiving identical outcomes and feeling that each person's contributions and benefits are reasonably fair.
Two partners can contribute...
This is a surprisingly counterintuitive relationship finding.
Researchers have studied “invisible support”—help that benefits someone without making them strongly aware that they're being helped.
In one classic study involving couples facing an...
People don't enter difficult conversations as blank slates.
Expectations about a partner can influence how ambiguous relationship behavior is interpreted.
Someone who feels secure may interpret a serious conversation as a problem the couple can...
Emotions inside relationships aren't completely independent.
Research on romantic couples has found evidence of emotional interdependence, where one partner's emotional experiences are related to the other's.
Partners repeatedly share...
Giving support and receiving support are two different experiences.
Researchers studying couples often collect reports from both partners because their perceptions don't always match.
One person may believe, “I supported you all day.”
The...