Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Is your partner marriage material? Rituals might hold the answer

The decision to commit to marriage is a complex one, and we often put our partner to the test -- even though we may not even realize it.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
December 8, 2020
in Science

Marriage itself is a ritual — one of the most prevalent in today’s society, and one that’s been around in one form or another for centuries or even millennia. But unofficial rituals are also important, and they may play a key role in our major life decisions.

Dinner can also be a very important ritual.

The season of rituals is almost here. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and all the family holidays are, essentially, rituals. We may not think about them that way, but that’s essentially what they are. We meet with our friends and family and we take part in a series of predefined ceremonies. These rituals, researchers say, are very important for our social life.

“Rituals have the power to bond individuals and give us a preview into family life and couple life. We found they help magnify normative relationship experiences,” says Chris Maniotes, graduate student in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) at University of Illinois and lead author of the new paper

Rituals can make or break our interactions with other individuals. They can be a rite of passage or a way to anchor a relationship, and there’s no real relationship, researchers say. Researchers focused on a particular type of relationship for their rituals study: the decision to wed (or not).

The researchers carried detailed interviews with 48 individuals (24 couples) in the US. The participants had an average age of 23 years and were in a relationship for an average of 2.5 years. They were randomly selected from a larger study examining commitment to wed in heterosexual dating couples.

Rituals, like spending the holidays together with the extended family, played an important role in deciding whether the couple wants to try to build a future together.

“Rituals provide a unique time to review one’s partner and relationship; you get to see a host of behaviors and interactions that might normally be obscured,” Maniotes notes. “Some of the ways rituals affected commitment to wed with these couples was by altering their view of their partner, giving them a new perspective.”

It makes sense. Meeting the parents or spending the holidays together is, understandably, a nerve-wracking checkpoint. But it’s also a time to take a moment to reflect and ponder your relationship. You also get to see your potential lifelong mate interact with the rest of your family in a stressful situation that’s often riddled with conflict.

“Rituals seem to really play a role in pausing and slowing down individuals, helping them take a better look at their relationship. They help them see, ‘this is who we are as a couple; this is who we are as a family,’” Maniotes explains.

Rituals don’t necessarily define a relationship — a healthy relationship can overcome an unpleasant weekend with the family — but understanding how rituals affect our relationships can help us better integrate them into our lives, researchers say.

The study has been published in Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!

No related posts.

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW