Personality Is Key to Perfect Partnership, Regarding Women, Fall 2005

Personality Is Key to Perfect Partnership

Researchers recently studied nearly 300 couples. They found that the happiest couples were those whose personalities were similar. “Personality” was defined by traits such as openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional attachment.

The researchers note that values often bring a couple together initially. But once a commitment is made, the way two people handle the stresses and irritations of everyday living strongly affects how happy they are with each other. And it’s personality that largely dictates how people cope with life.

However, personality characteristics are subtle and take a while for couples to discover in each other. So, taking your time to really get to know your partner may be crucial to lasting happiness.

Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, Vol. 88, No. 2

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