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Research

Couples' Shared Participation in Novel and Arousing Activities and Experienced Relationship Quality

Aron, Norman, Aron, McKenna & Heyman (2000) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(2)

Relied on in 4 places across the academy · 2 stated limits

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What it found

In three experiments, couples randomly assigned to a novel and arousing seven-minute task together reported higher relationship quality afterwards than those given a mundane task.

Across a survey, a door-to-door study and three experiments, couples who took part in novel and arousing activities together reported higher relationship quality; the correlation was mediated by relationship boredom.

Couples who took part in a novel and arousing activity together reported higher relationship quality than those given a mundane one, with boredom mediating the effect.

What it does not show

Self-reported relationship quality, and the experimental part is a short laboratory task rather than a shared evening.

And where we carry it further

Studied in established couples, not friendships. We are borrowing the mechanism, not claiming the result.

Studied in established couples doing lab tasks. That a specific, unusual meal beats a generic drink is our extension, not their result.

Where we rely on it

4 places in the academy. If this paper turned out to be wrong, this is the list that would have to change. Some of the instructions below are part of Gold; none of the findings are.

Cited alongside it

Papers that sit under the same topics and films. Not a claim that they agree with each other — only that the same exercises lean on both.

Research

A real study. We tell you what it found, how many people were in it, and what it can't prove.

Free to read, link to and quote. If we have carried this paper further than it goes, say so at contact@suaviq.com — corrections to this registry are the most useful mail we get.