The stability and harmony of a relationship is often based on communication, indeed it is the key to the success of couples. But researchers are not content with this condition, they do not stop studying several parameters that are likely to impact the longevity of a relationship. A team of researchers at Harvard University has done a study on the relationship between physical attraction and the length of a relationship.
We have all met beautiful people at school or at work who are always attracting attention around them. It also seems that they make more money in comparison with their less attractive colleagues. But a new study published in Personal Relationships under the title physical attractiveness is not without risk, just show that these people do not always have the same luck when it comes to love.
Beauty: A cause of instability
A team of researchers led by Christine Ma-Kellams, a social psychologist linked to Harvard University and the University of La Verne in California, wanted to better understand the impact of physical attractiveness on relationships, especially if do beautiful people live shorter relationships and / or more divorces? His research team conducted four studies to verify the connection between these two elements.
In the first two studies, the team proved that there is indeed a link between beauty and breaks. In one experiment, two independent coding software examined old high school yearbook pictures from the late 70s and 80s and rated men based on their facial appeal. Researchers then looked for topics on a specialized site to determine their marital status and found that those who were divorced were, on average, considered more attractive than married men. The second experiment yielded similar results: The same coding software ranked the most famous male and female celebrities, and it turned out that the most attractive were also married for shorter periods.
Why then physical attraction can harm the stability of a relationship?
Normally, couples tend to be more loyal over time, so the study's authors looked for more attractive people to continue looking for other partners. Participants in a third study were asked to rate the attractiveness of a "target" of the opposite sex. The researchers found that those who were more physically attractive and engaged in a relationship were indeed more interested in the targets.
These results deserve special attention because they demonstrate that physical attractiveness predicts the likelihood of a relationship being threatened and unstable. Overall, the study suggests that beautiful people may have more breakdowns because they are less willing to make the necessary efforts to make their relationships last.
"I think beauty gives you more options in terms of relationship alternatives," Ma-Kellams told Broadly, which may make it more difficult to protect a relationship from outside threats. 'other choices are probably not beneficial for the longevity of the relationship.'
Ma-Kellams says she became interested in this research when she reviewed the existing literature on physical attractiveness and wondered if there was another aspect of beauty that remains so desirable in a relationship .
Although people who have been attracted by the beauty of their partner can not find comfort in the results of these studies, but it is important to take into account. The goal is to know among other reasons the reasons for any break in order to communicate on it and why not avoid it!
