The secret to a happy marriage? PDA! Couples who display affection have more satisfying relationships, study claims
Honesty, respect and communication are all crucial to a happy marriage.
But if you really want to boost your relationship, scientists say you should give your partner a kiss or cuddle in public.
Experts have discovered that public displays of affection (PDA) are linked to greater relationship satisfaction.
And it could be an easy way to strengthen your romantic bond – even at the risk of making other people feel a bit uncomfortable.
Researchers from the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, recruited more than 450 participants for their study.
They were asked questions about their public and private displays of affection, negative attitudes and behaviours towards other individuals engaging in PDA.
Analysis revealed displays of romantic affection – like holding hands, kissing or cuddling – both in public and privately, were linked to enhanced relationship satisfaction.
They were also associated with improved wellbeing, reduced stress and greater life satisfaction.
The study, which involved individuals from Indonesia, Nepal and Poland, also revealed cultural differences in attitudes towards PDA.
Polish participants reported the highest level of PDA, while Indonesian participants reported the lowest.
Writing in the journal Plos One the researchers said: 'Across all three countries, positive correlations were observed between displays of affection and relationship satisfaction, underscoring the importance of affectionate behaviours in romantic relationships.
'In practice, these findings may inform relationship counselling, suggesting that encouraging appropriate expressions of affection…can strengthen romantic bonds.'
They referenced previous studies that have revealed key differences in how gender shapes an individual's views on PDA.
'Women tend to show affection more frequently than men,' they wrote, 'while men are more likely to report a lack of affectionate touch and greater affection deprivation.
'Although men and women differ in their preferred forms of physical affection – men often prefer kissing, while women favour hugging – these differences are generally modest.'
Earlier research has also suggested that people not in romantic relationships exhibit the highest levels of negative attitudes towards public displays of affection.
Others ways to maintain a happy marriage include merging bank accounts, according to a study published in 2023.
Researchers recruited 230 couples who were either engaged or newly married and followed them over two years as they began their married lives together.
Everyone began the study with separate bank accounts. Some couples were assigned to keep their separate accounts, and others were told to open a joint account instead.
A third group was also allowed to make the decision on their own.
Analysis revealed couples who opened joint bank accounts reported substantially higher relationship quality two years later than those who maintained separate accounts.
The scientists said merging funds means couples are more aligned with their financial goals and are more transparent with each other.
It also leads to a 'communal understanding of marriage' – when partners respond to each other's needs – they said.
WHAT ARE THE FIVE STAGES OF A RELATIONSHIP AND HOW DO THEY AFFECT THE BODY?
Psychologists suggest there are five stages of love - butterflies, building, assimilation, honesty and stability.
Each of these stages has a different impact on our psyche and health, researchers at eHarmony found in a 2014 survey.
1) Butterflies
Marked by intense infatuation and sexual attraction, symptoms noted by couples included weight loss (30 per cent) and a lack of productivity (39 per cent).
Biologically, it's reported that during this early stage of dating, both men and women create more of the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen.
As a result more than half - 56 per cent - noted an increase in their libido.
2) Building
As the initial attraction gives way to learning more about one another, the honeymoon stage subsides and a couple begin to build their relationship.
eHarmony's study estimated around three per cent of Britons in relationship are currently at stage two.
The body releases neurochemicals called monoamines, which speed up heart rate, trigger rushes of intense pleasure and replicate the effects of Class A drugs.
The biological effect culminates in a feeling of 'happy anxiety', where people can think of little else than their blossoming relationship.
Forty-four per cent of the study participants noted a lack of sleep while 29 per cent reported a their attention span had been adversely affected.
3) Assimilation
Having established whether the other person is 'right', stage three forces a couple to question whether the 'relationship' itself is right.
Questions over the future of the union and forming boundaries in the relationship can lead to a rise in stress levels, reported by 27 per cent of those taking part in the study.
4) Honesty
Stage three combines with stage four, where people open up showing the 'real you' sees the first real rise in stress levels and anxiety.
'This stage deals with the concept behind how we all put on our best faces, through social media we edit our lives as well as our pictures to make it appear as though everything is fine,' psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, who assisted with the study, told MailOnline.
Opening up completely triggered feelings of doubt and increased vulnerability in 15 per cent of participants.
5) Stability
If a couple can weather the emotional rollercoaster of the first four stages, the fifth and final stage, stability, brings with it increased levels of trust and intimacy.
eHarmony found 50 per cent of respondents had reached this stage, and 23 per cent reported feeling happier as a result.
Biologically, vasopressin - a powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm - strengthens feelings of attachment.
Meanwhile oxytocin - released during childbirth - deepens feelings of attachment.
'This is where we see a real level of contentness,' Dr Papadopolous told MailOnline.
'We found the body releases wonderful hormones which helps couples bond. We noted a real sense of attachment, and a sense of "you have got my back and I've got yours".'
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