Want To Know How A Couple Really Feels About Each Other? Try This Psychological Trick

This article may contain affiliate links, learn more.

This article may contain affiliate links.

We tend to romanticize the whole idea of love. We build an ideal of what it should be like based on movies, stories, and personas of other couples on social media. This pushes us to one of two extremes: either to justify bad behavior or to set unattainable standards. Cue in trust issues, commitment issues, and shaky relationships. It's hard to tell anymore how we really feel about our partners.

We describe our partner in the highest regard to maintain a positive image. We might even build up our partners to ourselves to convince ourselves to stay in the relationship.

So how do we really tell how a couple feels about one another? A study has found a way to tell what the truth is. Keep on reading through this story to find out more! Have you used this trick before? Let us know in the comments!

Do you want to learn a secret technique anyone can master that will make someone fall in love with you?

Couples Describe Their Partners Better Than Themselves

woman holds man's face as they lay in bed
Pixabay / Pexels
Pixabay / Pexels

According to Psychology Today, both heterosexual and homosexual couples tend to describe their partners more favorably than their partners describe themselves.

That means that we tend to romanticize the person we love, overlooking their flaws, but struggle to do the same for ourselves.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read Between The Lines

ADVERTISEMENT
anthony-tran-LMcvt8Rew4c-unsplash
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

We're stuck between believing in an ideal and perceiving reality.

ADVERTISEMENT

This makes it harder for researchers to read between the lines to understand how couples actually feel toward one another.

ADVERTISEMENT

Words Vs Actions

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
man-holding-baby-s-breath-flower-in-front-of-woman-standing-near-marble-wall
Vjapratama / Pexels
Vjapratama / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

To be able to distinguish the truth of how a couple really feels about one another, the researchers studied the difference between what we say about our partner automatically and compared it to our attitude or behavior towards our partner.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Gut Reactions Have It

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
zarina-iskarova-kJ96EKUjD9Q-unsplash
Photo by Zarina Iskarova on Unsplash
Photo by Zarina Iskarova on Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

Noticing what we say we like about our partner versus how we actually act towards them helped the researchers understand our "spontaneous affective reactions" or gut reactions.

ADVERTISEMENT

They realized that our gut reactions happen automatically before our brain has the time to justify or change our thoughts to what we have convinced ourselves we "should" feel.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Study

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
man-in-red-long-sleeve-shirt-holding-white-tablet-computer-beside-woman-in-brown-scarf-
Cottonbro Studio / Pexels
Cottonbro Studio / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

To quantify their observations and create a reliable study, the researchers read these reactions by having couples complete a computerized reaction-time task.

ADVERTISEMENT

They were observing how quickly couples determined their feelings for one another.

ADVERTISEMENT

It Didn't Line Up

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
keith-tanner-iDBf7a9pn7s-unsplash
Photo by Keith Tanner on Unsplash
Photo by Keith Tanner on Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

The couples seemed to have automatic reactions that included positive verbal statements about each. Yet, the researchers noted something strange...

ADVERTISEMENT

The positive verbal statements didn't align with the implicit attitudes or gut reactions.

ADVERTISEMENT

Non Verbal Clues

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
woman-kissing-boyfriend-on-forehead-
Dmitriy Ganin / Pexels
Dmitriy Ganin / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

The researchers realized something important...it's not what we say about our partner that is the truth. The truth lies in nonverbal cues, as those are based on our true "gut reactions.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you want to know how your partner truly feels about you, you shouldn't ask them as they might just say what they think they're supposed to say, subconsciously.

ADVERTISEMENT

Eye Contact Is Important

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
meg-aghamyan-UiyHBfNyqB4-unsplash
Unsplash | Meg Aghamyan
Unsplash | Meg Aghamyan
ADVERTISEMENT

Instead, look for nonverbal behaviors like eye contact, smiles, and tone of voice. These implicit attitudes are what the researchers used to understand how a couple currently feels about each other.

ADVERTISEMENT

Not only that, but these signs could also help determine how satisfied both parties will be over four years.

ADVERTISEMENT

It's All About Attitude

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
heerful-couple-hugging-in-park-in-darkness
Katerina Holmes / Pexels
Katerina Holmes / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

Haven't you heard the famous saying: "actions speak louder than words?" That statement holds the entire truth of how a couple feels about one another.

ADVERTISEMENT

Researchers are using "implicit attitudes" as a metric to find out whether couples' relationships are healthy and have secure attachment styles.

ADVERTISEMENT

Our True Feelings

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
scott-broome-BcVvVvqiCGA-unsplash
Photo by Scott Broome on Unsplash
Photo by Scott Broome on Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

The research concluded that, on the flip side as well, the more positive our implicit attitude is toward our partner, the more likely we are to be detrimentally impacted by a breakup.

ADVERTISEMENT

That's because it reflects how we truly feel about them, completely attached, so when we lose them, we're devastated.

ADVERTISEMENT

What To Look For

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
couple-embracing
Jonathan Borba / Pexes
Jonathan Borba / Pexes
ADVERTISEMENT

Basically, if you're trying to narrow down how two people feel about each other or even how your partner feels about you, observe their behaviors.

ADVERTISEMENT

Listen to their tone of voice in how they speak with you, watch them interact with you, note the terms of their language, and feel their body language. You'll know without ever having to ask.

ADVERTISEMENT

Listen To Your Body

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
allef-vinicius-0dXvugMScIY-unsplash
Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
ADVERTISEMENT

The same goes for you. If you're confused about how you feel about someone, let your body do the talking and listen to it. Tune into your body and note how it feels when you hear their name, how much you desire their touch, and how much patience you have for them...

ADVERTISEMENT

All those are signs that will tell you what you need to know.

ADVERTISEMENT

Relationships Are Effort

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
a-couple-hugging-at-the-beach-
Edward Eyer / Pexels
Edward Eyer / Pexels
ADVERTISEMENT

In any relationship, always look at how you feel and ask yourself: does this person make you love yourself more? Do you want to grow old with them?

ADVERTISEMENT

Love is more than just kisses and butterflies, it's much more than that. If you want to know more on what your birth chart reveals about how you love and what you need out of a partner, check out this personalized report based on date of birth.

For more great relationship advice and tips on how to attain the kind of love you deserve, watch this video from expert, Amy North: Click Here To Watch The Full Video.

Sign up for our newsletter here!