By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Want to strengthen your marriage? Dont forget to celebrate the good times
312b832c54a89c77af7c2f45ee28580404fadfaacb1f2f888b98edb1398f34d9
No Caption - photo by Mandy Morgan
Being there for a partner when times are tough is important, but research shows it could be more impactful for a marriage when partners enthusiastically react to good news and successes of their spouse.

A recent study published in Human Brain Mapping looked at how positive reactions to spouses in long-term relationships had helped those partners stay close, wrote The Science of Us.

By observing elderly women who had been married an average of 40 years, researchers found that heightened awareness and empathy were displayed while watching both negative and positive displays of emotion from their partner.

Researchers also found that relationship satisfaction was related to how much more aware participants became of their spouse and their spouse's feelings, specifically when the spouse displayed positive emotions in the study.

"Whereas emotional support from a partner when we're down can have the unfortunate side-effect of making us feel indebted and more aware of our negative emotions, a partner's positive reaction to our good news can magnify the benefits of that good fortune and make us feel closer to them," wrote Science of Us.

Previous studies have also found similar results, with one study published by the American Psychological Association in 2006 finding that sharing and celebrating successes and triumphs is a crucial part of relationships.

"When something good happens to your partner, it's a terrific opportunity to strengthen the relationship that's what this study really says," said Art Aron, a social psychologist not involved in the study, according to The New York Times.

Two months after participants of the study had responded to questions and were observed reacting to news from their partners, they were asked the same questions about their relationship. Reaction to good news whether "with excitement or passive approval, shared pride or indifference" heavily indicated the success and strength of the relationship, wrote the Times.

Positive events that happen throughout the duration of a relationship will usually outnumber negative events by at least four to one, so more comes from "amplifying life's rewards than by soothing its bruises, as important as that is," said Shelly Gable, one of the study's researchers, according to the Times.
Sign up for our e-newsletters