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Willingness to recognize and respond to the partner's needs is a key factor determining relationship satisfaction
In romantic relationships, the partners' satisfaction with their relationship can vary considerably over several days and even in the course of a single day. This is the result of a new psychological study on short-term satisfaction in romantic relationships. "Fluctuations are quite normal. However, they may also indicate unsatisfied needs in the relationship," said Louisa Scheling of the Institute of Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), lead author of the corresponding article. According to Scheling, fluctuations in relationship satisfaction can be a good starting point for partners to talk about their own expectations and, at the same time, become aware of the partner's needs, thus contributing to an overall improvement in the quality of the relationship. The study was mainly conducted at JGU and has been published recently in the "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology". Also involved were researchers at Heidelberg University, Brigham Young University in the USA, the University of Basel in Switzerland, and the German Center of Gerontology (DZA) in Berlin.
High-frequency surveys to assess relationship satisfaction
For most individuals, romantic relationships are among the most important relationships in their lives. Relationship satisfaction plays an important role not only for the relationship itself, but also for health outcomes and life satisfaction. In the Western world, however, 30 to 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Separation rates among unmarried couples are even higher. In the search for the root causes of this development, research has to date focused primarily on relationship satisfaction over periods of months and years. "In contrast, we have decided to take a narrow chronological approach to determine how satisfied partners were with their situation over the course of a few days and even within a 24-hour period," explained Louisa Scheling.
The research team evaluated data from two individual surveys of couples who reported on their individual relationship satisfaction on a daily basis or even several times each day. A total of 593 couples participated in the first survey and 150 couples in the second. The results of analysis of the data showed that partners experience substantial fluctuations in terms of how satisfied they are with their relationship. These fluctuations tend to be greater over periods of several days than during a single 24-hour period. Interestingly, the up and down swings of the degree of satisfaction reported turned out to be relatively synchronous for both partners over the course of time.
Mutual recognition of needs contributes to satisfaction
The researchers then considered various possible factors that might affect the outcome, such as age, gender, relationship duration, and attachment style. In fact, the perceived responsiveness of the partner proved to be a key parameter determining the course of satisfaction, while the emotional instability of male partners also had a notable effect. Louisa Scheling summarizes the findings of this part of the study as follows: "The reliable perception and fulfillment of the partner's needs contributes significantly to stable relationship satisfaction in everyday life. It's similar to a parent-child relationship: if needs are consistently met, satisfaction stabilizes at a high level."
The observed fluctuations in relationship satisfaction can, over the short term, be accompanied by thoughts of separation. Over the longer term, however, these have merely a limited effect on the course of the relationship over time. "It is possible that fluctuations in relationship satisfaction tend on the whole to mimic the current relationship dynamics between partners, rather than predicting the future development of the relationship," added Scheling. In her view, the findings of the study can help to support couples and show them, for example in the context of relationship counseling, that fluctuations in relationship satisfaction are normal but may serve as signals that there is room for improvement. "If this is to work, the partners have to be well aware of their needs and be able to express them clearly," the psychologist concluded.
Images:
https://download.uni-mainz.de/presse/02_psychology_relationship_satisfaction_14d...
Two couples with average (top) versus strong (bottom) fluctuations in relationship satisfaction, measured once a day over 14 days (ill./©: Louisa Scheling)
https://download.uni-mainz.de/presse/02_psychology_relationship_satisfaction_10d...
Two couples with average (top) versus strong (bottom) fluctuations in relationship satisfaction, measured five times a day over ten days (ill./©: Louisa Scheling)
Read more:
• https://press.uni-mainz.de/transition-point-in-romantic-relationships-signals-th... – press release "Transition point in romantic relationships signals the beginning of their end" (21 March 2025)
• https://press.uni-mainz.de/adolescents-today-are-more-satisfied-with-being-singl... – press release "Adolescents today are more satisfied with being single" (25 June 2024)
• https://press.uni-mainz.de/new-emmy-noether-junior-research-group-focuses-on-cou... – press release "New Emmy Noether junior research group focuses in couple relationships" (4 Oct.2023)
Louisa Scheling
Personality Psychology and Diagnostics
Institute of Psychology
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
55099 Mainz, GERMANY
e-mail: lschelin@uni-mainz.de
https://www.ppd.psychologie.uni-mainz.de/m-sc-louisa-scheling/ [in German]
L. Scheling et al., Within-person variability and couple synchrony in state relationship satisfaction: Testing predictors and implications, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 12 June 2025,
DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000559
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspp0000559
Two couples with average (top) versus strong (bottom) fluctuations in relationship satisfaction, mea ...
Source: ill./©: Louisa Scheling
Two couples with average (top) versus strong (bottom) fluctuations in relationship satisfaction, mea ...
Source: ill./©: Louisa Scheling
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