Research from the University of Waterloo has identified what type of individual is more likely to stay in an unhappy relationship and why.
In research presented recently at The Society of Personality and Social Psychology's annual meeting in California, the researchers noted that people with low self-esteem tend to swallow unhappiness rather than express it, most likely fearful it will trigger rejection.
"There is a perception that people with low self-esteem tend to be more negative and complain a lot more," said Megan McCarthy, the main researcher, who is a doctoral candidate in psychology at Waterloo, in a written statement. "While that may be the case in some social situations, our study suggests that in romantic relationships, the partner with low self-esteem resists addressing problems."
"Intimate partner communication" is crucial to improving love lives, she noted in background material on the study.
"If your significant other is not engaging in open and honest conversation about the relationship, it may not be that they don't care, but rather that they feel insecure and are afraid of being hurt," McCarthy said.
That silence can be harmful when there's a serious issue, the researchers found.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite healthy levels of self-esteem as preventing a wide array of ills, from obesity to bullying, self-harm and domestic violence, among others.
The good news, according to research reported on a few years ago by O Magazine, is "self-esteem can be learned, taught, developed and, best of all, spread around like crazy."
McCarthy and her colleagues plan another study to look at whether improving an individual's low self-esteem will boost communication.
In research presented recently at The Society of Personality and Social Psychology's annual meeting in California, the researchers noted that people with low self-esteem tend to swallow unhappiness rather than express it, most likely fearful it will trigger rejection.
"There is a perception that people with low self-esteem tend to be more negative and complain a lot more," said Megan McCarthy, the main researcher, who is a doctoral candidate in psychology at Waterloo, in a written statement. "While that may be the case in some social situations, our study suggests that in romantic relationships, the partner with low self-esteem resists addressing problems."
"Intimate partner communication" is crucial to improving love lives, she noted in background material on the study.
"If your significant other is not engaging in open and honest conversation about the relationship, it may not be that they don't care, but rather that they feel insecure and are afraid of being hurt," McCarthy said.
That silence can be harmful when there's a serious issue, the researchers found.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite healthy levels of self-esteem as preventing a wide array of ills, from obesity to bullying, self-harm and domestic violence, among others.
The good news, according to research reported on a few years ago by O Magazine, is "self-esteem can be learned, taught, developed and, best of all, spread around like crazy."
McCarthy and her colleagues plan another study to look at whether improving an individual's low self-esteem will boost communication.
