Does caring about your partner’s physical attractiveness make your relationship better?
Andrea Meltzer and James McNulty–both professors of psychology–set out to answer this age-old question last year. They found that as long as people felt sure that their partners were committed and valued their other, non-physical qualities like personality, they were happier when their partners cared about their physical attractiveness than when they didn’t.
On the other hand, in relationships where there were low levels of commitment or a lack of attention on non-physical qualities, attention on physical appearance resulted in lower overall happiness in the relationship.
So, if you keep getting in trouble for caring too much about your partner’s physical appearance, maybe it’s time for you to start focusing on some other qualities that you love about them. Don’t be shy, let them know why you love them for more than their good looks! The other take home message? If you are making sure you give your partner compliments about their personality, don’t hesitate to let them know how good they look in that new swimsuit either!
Written by: Steph
