Happy spouse, happy house

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/uoc--hsh031717.php

Public Release: 17-Mar-2017
Happy spouse, happy house
New study by UCR psychology professor finds focus on spouse an indicator of strong, healthy relationship
University of California - Riverside

Achieving marital quality could seem daunting, even impossible to any couple, let alone a couple in which one of the partners is dealing with a serious illness. But a new study by Megan Robbins, psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, may hold the answer.

Achieving marital quality could be as simple as using the right words, and finding balance, the study asserts. The results of the research paper show that the use of pronouns such as "I," "me," and "my," spoken by the spouse, and "you," and "your," by the patient, reflect positive marriage quality.

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"It may seem like an insignificant thing, but our research shows words can reflect important differences among romantic relationships," Robbins said. "Spouses' use of first-person singular pronouns, and patients' use of second-person pronouns, was positively related to better marital quality for both partners as the focus wasn't always on the patient. So, it reflects balance and interdependency between partners.

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