Scientists reveal the surprisingly simple task that could reignite the spark in ... trends now
When you've been with someone for many years, it's all too easy to let life get in the way and the spark fizzle out.
But, psychologists at the University of Missouri–St. Louis in the US have discovered a surprisingly easy way to reignite the passion, and all you need is a photo.
A study has found that looking at pictures of your partner for just a few seconds can boost feelings of infatuation, attachment and marital satisfaction.
'Looking at spouse pictures is an easy strategy that could be used to stabilise marriages in which the main problem is the decline of love feelings over time,' the authors wrote.
A study has found that looking at pictures of your partner for just a few seconds can boost feelings of infatuation, attachment and marital satisfaction (stock image)
Level of infatuation (A), attachment (B) and marital satisfaction (C) of participants while viewing the pictures and statements. Viewing images of the spouse produces the highest levels in all categories, and a preceding positive statement made no difference
There's nothing quite like the butterflies you feel at the start of a new relationship, but keeping them alive over the years isn't always easy.
A sad, oft-quoted, statistic is that 42 per cent of marriages in the UK end in divorce, and this year divorce rates are predicted to hit a 50-year high.
Married couples fall out of love for a whole host of reasons, the most common reason being 'unreasonable behaviour' in 2021.
However, the researchers wanted to see if there was an easy way to help couples in long-term or long-distance relationships rekindle the spark.
This could be through looking at photos of their spouse, reading positive things about them or both.
For the study, published in the Journal of Psychophysiology, they recruited 25 married people who had known their partners for an average of 11.9 years.
The participants first self-reported information about their marriage duration as well as level of infatuation with and attachment to their spouse.
Participants were presented with a set of 25 photos, where each appeared on a computer screen for one second. Some of these were non-intimate images of their spouse, while others were just 'pleasant' or 'neutral' images which did not feature their spouse. Before some of these images were displayed, a statement appeared on screen to help regulate the participant's emotions. During the task, the participants had to use a slider to indicate their level of infatuation with and attachment to their spouse, as well as marital satisfaction. Pictured: Experimental protocol
