What Makes Women Thrive in Romantic Relationships?
Friday, February 14, 2025.
Let's talk about love, shall we?
It turns out that romantic relationships are more than just candlelit dinners and cute texts; they might hold the key to a woman’s psychological well-being.
A recent study from Behavioral Sciences set out to crack the code on what really makes women feel good in their romantic partnerships.
The researchers behind this study, Elif Yöyen, Süreyya Çalık, and Tülay Güneri Barış, weren’t content with surface-level answers.
They wanted the whole messy, beautiful picture. Their mission? To figure out how empathy, sexual satisfaction, relationship stability, intimacy, and even having kids influence women’s mental well-being.
The Study: Who, What, and Why It Matters
Picture this: 415 women, aged 23 to 45, all in relationships lasting at least a year, answered a slew of online questions.
The researchers gathered these participants during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (when Zoom dates were still a thing) through snowball sampling—basically, one participant recruited another, who recruited another, and so on.
The women took assessments measuring their psychological well-being (via the Psychological Well-Being Scale), empathy (through the Basic Empathy Scale), and sexual satisfaction (thanks to the Sexual Quality of Life Scale).
Passionate love (that heart-thumping, can’t-get-enough-of-you feeling) was measured with the Passionate Love Scale, while relationship closeness (how deeply connected they felt to their partner) was gauged using the Romantic Relationship Closeness Scale.
To top it off, relationship stability was assessed using the Relationship Stability Scale.
The Big Reveal: What Makes Women Feel Good
Here’s the headline: Relationship satisfaction is the strongest predictor of a woman’s psychological well-being. Period. The happier she is with her partner, the better she feels overall.
But wait, there’s more!
Sexual satisfaction also played a starring role.
When women felt fulfilled in their sex lives, their psychological well-being soared.
And let’s not forget empathy—being able to understand and share a partner’s feelings was a significant boost for well-being.
Surprisingly, having children also contributed positively to their well-being (though with a slight dip in relationship intimacy—because, well, kids are exhausting).
A Few Surprises Along the Way
The study threw some curveballs.
Women with higher education levels scored higher on assessing relationship alternatives (a fancy way of saying they were more aware of their options).
Meanwhile, women with lower education levels showed greater relationship investment, pouring their hearts into their partnerships.
Employment status also shook things up.
Unemployed women reported higher levels of passionate love than their working counterparts. And interestingly, women in longer relationships (five years or more) reported higher well-being and greater relationship security.
How Does This Stack Up Against Other Research?
This study echoes findings from Umberson and Karas Montez (2010), who also found that satisfying relationships boost mental health, but it contrasts with Twenge et al. (2003), whose research suggested that having children decreases overall life satisfaction—perhaps this study captures the nuance that children can enrich life and make it more stressful.
Gottman and Silver (1999) emphasized the role of empathy and emotional attunement in relationship success, which this study reinforces.
However, Esther Perel’s (2017) exploration of eroticism in long-term relationships suggests that sexual satisfaction stems from desire and novelty—perhaps adding context to why it is such a strong predictor of well-being.
So, What’s the Secret Sauce?
Here’s the takeaway: Love well. Listen deeply. And, if you can, enjoy the ride—even when it involves stepping on Legos at 3 a.m. Psychological well-being in relationships isn’t about perfection; it’s about connection, understanding, and, yes, a bit of magic in the bedroom.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (1999). The seven principles for making marriage work. Three Rivers Press.
Perel, E. (2017). The state of affairs: Rethinking infidelity. Harper.
Twenge, J. M., Campbell, W. K., & Foster, C. A. (2003). Parenthood and marital satisfaction: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(3), 574-583.
Umberson, D., & Karas Montez, J. (2010). Social relationships and health: A flashpoint for health policy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(S), S54-S66.
Yöyen, E., Çalık, S., & Güneri Barış, T. (2024). Predictors of young adult women’s psychological well-being in romantic relationships. Behavioral Sciences.