Can our friends sense if we are ready for a serious relationship? Study explores

The study observed how friends can observe patterns and understand if we are ready for a serious relationship.

In today’s dating landscape, people often feel confused to understand if they are ready to get into the commitment of a serious relationship. With the changing norms of relationships around us, often people prefer to keep it casual or wing it and see where it takes them. But when we enter a relationship without being ready to commit wholeheartedly, it can lead to painful fallouts or unresolved conflicts.

The study states that our friends can sense and understand if we are ready to commit to a serious relationship. (Pexels)

However, according to a recent study led by Hyewon Yang and William J. Chopik, Michigan State University, it states that our friends can sense and understand if we are ready to commit to a serious relationship.

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 193 groups of four friends each (772 people total). The researchers observed how the friends of a group understand each other’s readiness to commit. When assessed with a participant’s results of commitment, the study observed remarkable agreement to the friend’s assessments. Also read | Relationship therapist shares what you should and shouldn’t normalise in love: Disagreements to anxiety

Co-author William Chopik, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Psychology, in a statement said, “Friendships affect so many parts of our life — not just our health and happiness, but also our romantic prospects. Friends can constrain or facilitate who we date. They can also help our romantic relationships flourish or subtly and not-so-subtly undermine them.”

Here's how friends can influence our romantic relationships.(Pexels)

Friends have a huge role to play in our romantic relationships, and it often goes beyond initial introductions and dating advices. They can decide who we should date based on the social circle or mutual friendship setups. They can also subtly encourage or undermine our relationships.

Our friend’s perceptions can affect our readiness to involve ourselves in serious relationships. When the researchers looked at the results of the study, they understood how friends observe the patterns of the participants, making their assessments match with the results. Thus, confirming that friends can sense each other’s readiness to involve themselves in serious committed relationships.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.