People in strained relationships show somewhat higher preference for hearing lies
While honesty is considered the foundation of a healthy relationship, a new study shows that couples experiencing dissatisfaction are significantly more likely to want their partners to tell them well-intentioned lies to keep the peace.
A study conducted in Poland examined the relationship between relationship satisfaction, emotional resilience, and the preference for prosocial lies among 672 individuals in romantic relationships. The researchers, Sebastian Wnęk and Katarzyna Cantarero, found that people who were less satisfied with their relationships tended to prefer hearing lies, both prosocial and egoistic, compared to those who were more satisfied.
Additionally, individuals with lower emotional resilience were more likely to favor hearing prosocial lies, while those with higher emotional resilience perceived blatant truth as more harmful. The study, published in The Journal of Social Psychology, suggests that while prosocial lies are generally viewed more positively than egoistic lies, their use may be less desirable in relationships with high satisfaction.
The findings highlight the complex nature of prosocial lying in romantic relationships and the influence of emotional resilience on relationship satisfaction. However, the study's design does not allow for causal inferences to be drawn from the results.
Written by urgent.news from PsyPost's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
