Over the long-term, romantic partners are influenced by what the other person wants, according to a study involving 450 couples.

The study was published in The Journal of Gerontology .
The researchers wanted to examine the short- and long-term interdependence of approach goals and avoidance goals within couples.
The participants in the study reported whether they had tried to avoid conflicts or share meaningful experiences with their partner that day. This was followed by an analysis of how the information affected the goals of the partner.
The goals of each person were recorded daily for two 14 day periods at an interval of 10 to 12 months.
The average age and relationship length of the participants was just under 34 years and almost 10 years, respectively.
The study observed that when one person avoids conflicts and distress, the other partner also tries to do the same.
Significant delayed effects between partners were observed by the psychologists, regardless of age, gender and relationship length.
The daily goals of one partner, which could change, coincided with the medium and long term goals of the other partner. However, it takes several days to months for the long-term relationship goals of one partner to have an impact on the goals of the other.
“This could be an adaptive mechanism to maintain the stability of the relationship,” says Nikitin, “by not being influenced by every momentary shift made by the partner.”
Source-Medindia
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