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Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
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Self-Expansion Activities with a Partner as One Path to Well-Being.

Arthur Aron1, Jennifer M Tomlinson2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.

Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Engaging in novel, shared activities with a romantic partner boosts relationship quality. This enhancement in relationship quality, in turn, significantly improves overall well-being.

Keywords:
close relationshipsrelationship satisfactionself-expansionshared activitieswell-being

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Relationship Science

Background:

  • The self-expansion model extensively studies relationship benefits for the self.
  • Few studies explicitly link relationship quality to enhanced well-being.
  • Relationships may lose novelty over time, potentially leading to decreased excitement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how self-expanding activities with a romantic partner enhance relationship quality.
  • To investigate the subsequent impact of improved relationship quality on overall well-being.
  • To highlight the specific well-being effects derived from self-expansion within couples.

Main Methods:

  • Review of the basic self-expansion model.
  • Analysis of studies on self-expansion for couples, focusing on marital satisfaction and well-being outcomes.
  • Examination of research (experiments, daily diaries) demonstrating that shared self-expanding activities increase relationship quality.
  • Discussion of studies linking enhanced relationship quality to increased well-being.

Main Results:

  • Shared self-expanding activities are shown to increase relationship quality.
  • Strengthening relationships through these activities contributes to overall well-being.
  • Self-expansion within relationships can reinvigorate them by introducing novelty and challenge.

Conclusions:

  • Novel and challenging shared activities are key to reinvigorating romantic relationships.
  • Enhancing relationship quality through self-expanding activities is a direct pathway to improved well-being.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for explaining how relationship improvements impact psychological health.