The types of single-shot measurement are helpful; however, how you feel about the various aspects of your relationship changes in the course. Researchers, like Ximena Arrigagua at Purdue University, have suggested that the traditional method of measuring only a one-time event could not accurately capture the experience of a relationship; it could be more informative to study patterns of change as your relationship grows.
To determine the fate of your relationship, the variations and ups and downs could be more than the quality of your relationship at a particular time. A recently published study addressed this question by observing how relationships developed through time based on people’s shifting perceptions of where they were heading.
The path of love, whether either true or not
There are days when your relationship feels as if it’s about to be happily ever after, whereas, in others, it feels like never-ending happiness. Researchers refer to your perception of whether your relationship will ultimately be a marriage commitment to get married.
If you could sketch the history of your love affair, what would it appear like? Maybe a straight ascending line that shows an ongoing progression? Perhaps an arc showing there are some bumps in the route? This could affect the way your story ends.
A recent study conducted by researcher Brian Ogolsky and colleagues proposed that the way in which individuals’ engagement with each other changed over time could be a predictor of the future outcomes of their relationship. To test this hypothesis, researchers interviewed 376 couples in their mid-20s plot out graphs that showed how their perception of the likelihood of getting married (the vertical scale ranged between 0% and 100 percent) changed as time passed (time in months was shown in the horizontal direction).
The interviewer outlined important dates and noted how the likelihood of getting married changed, whether for good or for worse. For instance, the fact that you spend too much time with your friends, fighting, or simply being different can make it difficult to commit to being married. In contrast, getting to know the spouse’s family members or spending a lot of time together, displaying many things in common, and obtaining favorable feedback from family or friends could boost the commitment to marry.
They updated their graphs during short interviews throughout the next seven months, culminating in a final meeting nine months following the beginning of this study. Participants also shared information regarding the status of their relationships – like transitioning from dating to breaking up, from casual to serious dating, serious dating to being engaged, and so on.
Researchers looked at the graphs to determine the number of turning points or shifts in vows to get married, with a particular focus on changes in the direction or timeframes when the likelihood of marriage dwindled. They also looked at the slope or extent of change at these turns to determine the rate at which things escalated, slowing down, or if they were following any other path that a relationship may follow.
Commitment types are broken down into four categories
By analyzing the feedback of participants every month, The researchers discovered four distinct patterns of commitment.
Dramatic (34 percent of our sample). The group was the “up and down” type of relationship, which included greater downturns and more drastic changes in commitment than the other group. They were more distant and had less positive opinions about their relationship. Additionally, their friends and families were less supportive of their relationship.
Focused on the partner (30 percent of our sample) The group was characterized by a “my partner is the center of my universe” approach to commitment. They experienced a little decline. The changes in their commitment depended on how long they were able to spend together.
