A detailed study found that wives or girlfriends were pleased when their partner showed emotion because they believed it demonstrated a healthy relationship.
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The survey, carried out by Harvard Medical School, also found that when men realised their wife was angry, the women reported being happier, although the men were not.
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It revealed women most likely enjoyed spotting when their partner was dissatisfied because it showed his strong “engagement” or “investment” in their time together.
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Dr Shiri Cohen, the study’s lead author, said: It could be that for women, seeing that their male partner is upset reflects some degree of the man's investment and emotional engagement in the relationship, even during difficult times.
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This is consistent with what is known about the dissatisfaction women often experience when their male partner becomes emotionally withdrawn and disengaged in response to conflict.
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The study, published by the American Psychological Association, recruited a diverse range of 156 heterosexual couples.
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More than 100 of the younger, urban, couples were in a committed but not necessarily a married relationship.
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Other couples who varied in the way they resolved conflict and controlled emotions were also chosen, while the remaining participants were older, middle-class and married.
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In total, 71 per cent of those questioned were white, 56 per cent were married, and the average length of their relationships was three-and-a-half years.
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During the study, each participant was asked to describe an incident with their partner over the previous two months that had been frustrating, disappointing or upsetting.
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The researchers recorded the participant making a brief statement summarising the incident and then brought the couple together to play each other's admission.
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They were told to come to a better understanding of what had happened, with approximately 10 minutes to discuss the incident while they were filmed.
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The video recording was then shown back to them while they rated their negative and positive reactions using an electronic device.
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Later, six, 30-second clips of the most emotive discussions were then shown to the participants, who completed questionnaires about their feelings on watching the recordings.
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Overall satisfaction with the relationship was also measured, and whether those surveyed considered their partner's efforts to be empathetic.
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The study concluded: Overall, the findings from this study suggest that men may be more satisfied in their relationships when they can accurately read their partners’ positive emotions.
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While women’s relationship satisfaction may uniquely benefit when they can accurately read their partners’ negative emotions
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Women’s satisfaction was more strongly related to the perception that their partners were trying to understand their negative emotions than to men’s actual accuracy in reading those emotions.
.
James Orr
The survey, carried out by Harvard Medical School, also found that when men realised their wife was angry, the women reported being happier, although the men were not.
.
It revealed women most likely enjoyed spotting when their partner was dissatisfied because it showed his strong “engagement” or “investment” in their time together.
.
Dr Shiri Cohen, the study’s lead author, said: It could be that for women, seeing that their male partner is upset reflects some degree of the man's investment and emotional engagement in the relationship, even during difficult times.
.
This is consistent with what is known about the dissatisfaction women often experience when their male partner becomes emotionally withdrawn and disengaged in response to conflict.
.
The study, published by the American Psychological Association, recruited a diverse range of 156 heterosexual couples.
.
More than 100 of the younger, urban, couples were in a committed but not necessarily a married relationship.
.
Other couples who varied in the way they resolved conflict and controlled emotions were also chosen, while the remaining participants were older, middle-class and married.
.
In total, 71 per cent of those questioned were white, 56 per cent were married, and the average length of their relationships was three-and-a-half years.
.
During the study, each participant was asked to describe an incident with their partner over the previous two months that had been frustrating, disappointing or upsetting.
.
The researchers recorded the participant making a brief statement summarising the incident and then brought the couple together to play each other's admission.
.
They were told to come to a better understanding of what had happened, with approximately 10 minutes to discuss the incident while they were filmed.
.
The video recording was then shown back to them while they rated their negative and positive reactions using an electronic device.
.
Later, six, 30-second clips of the most emotive discussions were then shown to the participants, who completed questionnaires about their feelings on watching the recordings.
.
Overall satisfaction with the relationship was also measured, and whether those surveyed considered their partner's efforts to be empathetic.
.
The study concluded: Overall, the findings from this study suggest that men may be more satisfied in their relationships when they can accurately read their partners’ positive emotions.
.
While women’s relationship satisfaction may uniquely benefit when they can accurately read their partners’ negative emotions
.
Women’s satisfaction was more strongly related to the perception that their partners were trying to understand their negative emotions than to men’s actual accuracy in reading those emotions.
.
James Orr
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