Cited by 683Attachment and Relationship DynamicsMarriage and Sexual RelationshipsFamily Dynamics and Relationships

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Couples' shared participation in novel and arousing activities and experienced relationship quality.

Aron, Arthur, Norman, Christina C., Aron, Elaine N., McKenna, Colin, Heyman, Richard E.·2000·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI 10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.273

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Abstract

Using a newspaper questionnaire, a door-to-door survey, and 3 laboratory experiments, the authors examined a proposed effect of shared participation in novel and arousing activities on experienced relationship quality. The questionnaire and survey studies found predicted correlations of reported shared "exciting" activities and relationship satisfaction plus their predicted mediation by relationship boredom. In all 3 experiments, the authors found predicted greater increases in experienced relationship quality from before to after participating together in a 7-min novel and arousing (vs. a more mundane) task. Comparison with a no-activity control showed the effect was due to the novel-arousing task. The same effect was found on ratings of videotaped discussions before and after the experimental task. Finally, all results remained after controlling for relationship social desirability. Results bear on general issues of boredom and excitement in relationships and the role of such processes in understanding the typical early decline of relationship quality after the honeymoon period.

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“Novelty is an important part of what makes long-distance relationships thrive, and the loss of novelty and variety has been found to be associated with relationship dissolution when the relationship changes from long-distance to proximal (Aron et al., 2000; Stafford, Merolla, & Castle, 2006).”
Male Partners’ Perceived Pornography Use and Women’s Relational and Psychological Health: The Roles of Trust, Attitudes, and Investment
Szymanski, D. M., Feltman, C. E., & Dunn, T. L. (2015) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-015-0518-5 · Cited by 37
Emotions in relationships.
Fitness, J. (2014) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/14344-011 · Cited by 38
Ecology of family experiences: Contextualizing family leisure for human development & family relations
Melton, K. K., Hodge, C. J., & Duerden, M. D. (2020) · Journal of Leisure Research · doi:10.1080/00222216.2020.1802374 · Cited by 34
“Conversely, other family scholars (Aron et al., 2000; Aron & Aron, 1997) provide other hypotheses on the role of novelty in family experiences.”
Background
Sexual minority women’s relationship quality: Examining the roles of multiple oppressions and silencing the self.
Szymanski, D. M., Ikizler, A. S., & Dunn, T. L. (2015) · Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity · doi:10.1037/sgd0000145 · Cited by 41
I-sharing on the couch: on the clinical implications of shared subjective experience.
Pinel, E. C., Bernecker, S. L., & Rampy, N. M. (2015) · Journal of Psychotherapy Integration · doi:10.1037/a0038895 · Cited by 35
Modeling knowledge sharing and team performance in technology industry: the main and moderating effects of happiness
Liu, M.-L., Hsieh, M.-W., Hsiao, C., Lin, C., & Yang, C. (2018) · Review of Managerial Science · doi:10.1007/s11846-018-0301-4 · Cited by 38
“Team members sharing knowledge with other team members are more likely to build good social bonds or empathy (Aron et al. 2000) that propel team members to help and work closely with one another (i.e., high team proficiency).”
Background
Effects of self‐disclosure and responsiveness between couples on passionate love within couples
Welker, K., Baker, L., Padilla, A., Holmes, H. J., Aron, A., & Slatcher, R. (2014) · Personal Relationships · doi:10.1111/pere.12058 · Cited by 30
“Additionally, novel and exciting activities increase positive affect, which in turn leads to increases in perceived relationship quality (Aron et al., 2000; Coulter & Malouff, 2013; Graham, 2008; Strong & Aron, 2006).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Regulation of Romantic Love Feelings: Preconceptions, Strategies, and Feasibility
Langeslag, S. J. E., & Strien, J. W. V. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161087 · Cited by 39
“Correspondingly, research on long-term romantic love has shown that married couples who engaged in novel and challenging activities together reported increases in love, closeness, and relationship quality [69, 70].”
Background
COMMENTARIES
(2002) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1207/s15327965pli1303_05 · Cited by 37
Sexual Practices and Satisfaction among Gay and Heterosexual Men in Romantic Relationships: A Comparison Using Coarsened Exact Matching in a U.S. National Sample
Frederick, D. A., Gillespie, B. J., Lever, J., Berardi, V., & Garcia, J. R. (2021) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2020.1861424 · Cited by 34
“Novelty and variety have biopsychologically rewarding properties that can positively impact romantic and sexual relationships (Aron et al., 2000).”
Background
Infant humor perception from 3- to 6-months and attachment at one year
Mireault, G. C., Sparrow, J. E., Poutre, M., Perdue, B., & Macke, L. (2012) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2012.07.018 · Cited by 34
The Effects of Variety and Novelty on Physical Activity and Healthy Nutritional Behaviors
Sylvester, B. D., Jackson, B., & Beauchamp, M. R. (2017) · Advances in motivation science · doi:10.1016/bs.adms.2017.11.001 · Cited by 38
Facing Sorrow as a Group Unites. Facing Sorrow in a Group Divides
Rennung, M., & Göritz, A. S. (2015) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136750 · Cited by 33
“Research on relationships shows that participating in arousing activities enhances relationship quality [29], thus suggesting that high arousal contributes to social bonding more than low arousal.”
Background
Intense Passionate Love Attenuates Cigarette Cue-Reactivity in Nicotine-Deprived Smokers: An fMRI Study
Xu, X., Wang, J., Aron, A. P., Lei, W., Westmaas, J. L., & Weng, X. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0042235 · Cited by 35
“) generates high levels of aroused positive affect and feelings of reward [16–17].”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Planning date nights that promote closeness: The roles of relationship goals and self-expansion
Harasymchuk, C., Walker, D. L., Muise, A., & Impett, E. A. (2021) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/02654075211000436 · Cited by 32
“Researchers have examined the beneficial effects of exciting shared activities in the context of the lab (Aron et al., 2000), by giving homework instructions (Coulter & Malouff, 2013), and by measuring exciting activities as they naturally occur in people’s daily lives (Harasymchuk et al., 2020).”
BackgroundInfluential
Travel as Relationship Therapy
Durko, A. M., & Petrick, J. F. (2015) · Journal of Travel Research · doi:10.1177/0047287515592970 · Cited by 32
“The RAS was chosen as the measurement scale for the current study based on its brevity, reliability, and validity, as well as its applicability to a variety of relationships; thus, it is not limited to measures of only marital satisfaction (Renshaw et al. 2011; Aron et al. 2000; Vaugh and Baier 1999; Hendrick, Dicke a…”
BackgroundMethod
Attachment orientation and relational intimacy: The mediating role of emotional competences
Constant, E., Christophe, V., Bodenmann, G., & Nandrino, J. (2018) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-018-0062-x · Cited by 31
But What’s Your Partner Up to? Associations Between Relationship Quality and Pornography Use Depend on Contextual Patterns of Use Within the Couple
Kohut, T., Dobson, K., Balzarini, R. N., Rogge, R. D., Shaw, A. M. M., McNulty, J. K., Russell, V. M., Fisher, W. A., & Campbell, L. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.661347 · Cited by 39

Authors: Aron, A., Norman, C. C., Aron, E. N., McKenna, C., & Heyman, R. E.
Affiliations: Stony Brook University (US)
Kaiser Permanente (US)
ORCID: Aron, Arthur
Norman, Christina C.
Heyman, Richard E.
Venue: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2000
Volume: 78
Issue: 2
Pages: 273-284
ISSN: 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
1939-1315
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.273
OpenAlex: W2076102104
Cited by: 681
References: 56
Citations by year: 2026: 21 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 137 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 22
FWCI: 8.09
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
Keywords: couples, relationship quality, relationship satisfaction, shared activities, romantic relationships, honeymoon period, relationship decline, social desirability
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Adult, Arousal, Boredom, Exploratory Behavior, Female, Humans, Male, Marriage, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Spouses

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Couples' shared participation in novel and arousing activities and experienced relationship quality.

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