couples look similar. Friends who use the same words. Roommates that get to the same time period. It seems that the people who spend a lot of time together, are always similar. Is it true or is it just a nice thought? We have reviewed the Study.
1. Anyone who lives together for a long time, always similar
we See two people of similar age in the same trekking jacket, we immediately think: Probably it is a Few. In the case of some, not only the clothes, but also the facial features are the same. This is due to the fact that people feel attracted to other people who see similar to them. On the other facial features change with time and which spend of people similar to, with whom we have a lot of time. At least that is the result of a study, the researchers conducted researchers to the psychologist Robert Zajonc at the University of Michigan over 30 years ago by (Motivation and Emotion: Zajonc et al., In 1987, pdf). 110 volunteers respond 24 photos of newly-married people, as well as 24 photos of the same individuals sorted 25 years later – even after the Similarity and even then, who is married to whom. The result: After 25 years of marriage, many of the partners were always similar. Sometimes even couples who were at the beginning of their relationship, no Similarities. Seemingly behind the common experience had the same characteristics on the faces: the same wrinkles, dimples or wrinkles. This is the team of researchers explained that the couple probably felt particularly empathetic to each other and the facial expression of the other impersonated. Partners life so it is not only similar feelings, leaving in their faces is also similar traces (Science: Zajonc 1985, pdf). Since, it is not surprising that couples who see themselves as particularly similar, also report much that is Positive about your marriage.
More about the traces of people in our body and our Psyche leave, read in the new TIME Doctor.
Similar effects created by the relationship of children to siblings and parents While growing up, children spend usually very a lot of time with family members, to share their experiences and feelings and imitate their facial expressions. Similarities, therefore, are not solely a matter of genes, but also develop through years of mimicry.
2. People look for similar partners
When people in long-term partnerships look like any other: it Means that you are in essence, more and more of the same? “The personalities in partnerships are similar, we have found in the short or medium term, so far, no evidence”, says Beatrice Rammstedt, a Professor of Psychological diagnostics at the University of Mannheim. “I know of no study which has investigated a comprehensive data set for the long term. Nevertheless, we find Similarities. And this suggests that you choose a Partner, the facet is a certain Personality is already similar.” (Personality and Individual Differences: Rammstedt et al., 2013, pdf)
the psychology of what makes a personality, is often on the basis of the model of the so-called “Big Five” are described: tolerance, conscientiousness, openness to experience, sociability, and Neuroticism (i.e., tendency to emotional lability, Anxiety and sadness). These main characteristics of personalities are similar in the course of partnerships, not usually, says Rammstedt.
A study from 2010 that looked at over 1,200 married couples, observed, however, that the personalities of husbands and wives in a single point match is actually to each other (Personality and Individual Differences: Humbad et al., 2010, pdf): Under the circumstances, the measure of your aggressiveness is similar to that – possibly because of the continuing Aggression of the one, sooner or later, the aggressive reactions of other causes.
Beatrice Rammstedt but warns of conclusions: “It is a relatively small sample and the authors suggest that it could be a random finding.”
3. The language flow is similar to
And what is with the living, the individuals of the other? People will use sooner or later, the foreign words? At the same your voice the melody of your counterpart? Anyone who approaches this question, it is inevitably confronted with difficulties: for example, with the influence of age and education.
A study in 1995 showed, for example, that the word fluid, a part of intelligence tests, increased among married couples in the less competent Partner. A particularly high level of verbal fluency is noticeable, that the words from a people gushing is the only way out, if he is asked, for example, to call adjectives (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Gruber-Baldini et al., 1995).
The effect was subtle. And that seems to be something that runs through the research on how the language aligns, through. A study was accompanied by two residential communities over a period of a few months, found out that the Intonation of the partners easily accessible to (the Journal of Phonetics: Pardo et al., 2012). The results suggested that the approximation was particularly strong when the roommate information, to be very close.
Also in everyday situations, people often adopt the Intonation of the counterpart. While the effect for men is rather stable, on women of a variety of factors: Is the interlocutor a woman or a man, and he or she is a supervisor or a girlfriend (Journal of Phonetics: Pardo et al., 2018).
4. Friends solve prejudices
may have an enormous influence on the development of the personality, with whom students live together, shows a study with 2,000 participants over a period of five years (Journal of Experimental Social Psychology: Van Laar et al., 2005). Students have Background about roommates or roommates with different ethnic, leads not only to a reduction in prejudice towards these specific people, but, in General, to so-called Fremdgrustop (in English: outgroups). A similar open-minded attitude at the end of the studies, it was shown to students, the friendships were maintained to fellow students of different ethnic origin (Group Processes & Intergroup Relations: Levin et al., 2003).
5. Two women, two cycles of
For a Long time, the assumption that, if women live together, sooner or later, your monthly cycles in sync. Also, the study of the American psychologist Martha McClintock came in 1971, to this result (Nature: McClintock 1971): The researcher examined the 135 residents of a Student dormitory over a period of seven months, and showed that the women began to menstruate more or less at the same time. As the trigger suspected McClintock pheromones, which the female organism emits fragrance and messengers that influence the metabolism of other individuals.
Meanwhile, the so-called McClintock puts applies the effect, however, as as well as. Numerous studies have failed to demonstrate the result of the 1971 re – (the Journal of Sex Research: Harris & Vitzthum, 2013) – whether among Chinese students (Human Nature: Yang & Schank, 2001), or users of the App Clue.
