Scientists identify 6 tactics people use to invest in romantic relationships: Pampering to giving each other space

What is the key to a lasting relationship, apart from being open about your feelings? Per a new study, there are 6 'relationship investment tactics' that count.

Research has shown that couples who feel more committed to one another are more likely to invest in their relationships and be more satisfied. However, people differ in how they invest in their romantic relationships. An interesting study published in Personal Relationships sought to map the tactics people use to maintain their relationships and identify the techniques, behaviours, and practices they employ to improve their romantic relationships.

Shared activities, like going on trips together, contribute to relationship satisfaction, according to the study. (Pexels)

More about the study

To map these relationship investment tactics, the researchers developed a dedicated assessment tool called the Relationship Investment Tactics Scale. To create this tool, they asked 110 individuals, recruited from their colleagues, friends, and relatives, to list ways in which people can enhance their romantic relationships.

The researchers then used these responses to construct the initial version of the scale, which they administered to study participants. Participants also completed the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale to report their relationship satisfaction.

The researchers identified 46 distinct ways individuals invest in their romantic relationships, and these were grouped into six categories, referred to as relationship investment tactics:

◉ Emotional care and gestures (e.g., “I usually use affectionate nicknames for my partner”).

◉ Material gestures and pampering (e.g., “I usually buy gifts for my partner”).

◉ Giving one another space (e.g., “I usually allow my partner to go out with friends without me joining”).

◉ Investing in physical appearance and sex (e.g., “I tend to diversify my sexual activity with my partner”).

◉ Shared activities (e.g., “As a couple, we usually go on trips and vacations together”).

◉ Third-party care and support (e.g., “I usually help my partner’s family and friends”).

More details

Emotional gestures, shared activities, and third-party tactics were most strongly associated with relationship satisfaction. Additional statistical analyses revealed that emotional gestures had the strongest link to satisfaction. Shared activities, third-party care, and material gestures also made independent contributions to relationship satisfaction.

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