What Science Tells Us About Long-Distance Relationships

1. Couples in long-distance relationships are better at certain kinds of communication.
Surprise, surprise! Long-distance relationships require a lot of hard work, and it looks like it’s paying off. All that time spent Skyping, texting, and talking on the phone means you’re better at communicating with each other, which is excellent news for the long-term health of your relationship.

In 2013, a study by researchers in Cornell and Hong Kong discovered that distance increases, instead of decreases intimacy. This is because couples who live far apart talk more often and have more in-depth and engaging conversations where each partner would share more about themselves. Couples who can see each other physically on the regular may not find the need to have those deep discussions as often.

Not only that, but another study has found that couples in long-distance relationships are less likely to snap or express hostility because most of the time it’s not worth it to get on the phone just to pick a fight.

2. Living apart makes couples idealize their partners.

It’s so much easier to create an idealized image of your significant other when you don’t see any of their daily flaws or weaknesses (i.e., dirty laundry, bad habits, embarrassing moments).

Studies have supported this fact when researchers found that long-distance couples are more likely to view their partner’s behaviors through rose-colored glasses. When their partners are miles away, it seems they could do no wrong.

Long-distance couples were more likely to believe that they’ll still be together a year later and that they would eventually get married.

3. Women tend to adapt more easily to a long-distance relationship.

Who says women were more emotionally unstable? Studies on college students have found that women in long-distance relationships handled the initial separation and eventual breakup (if a break up did happen) better than the men in the study. The men, on the other hand, reported feeling more distressed overall, especially (perhaps understandably) when they were the ones who were broken up with.

4. Couples in long-distance relationships don’t think they will ever break up, but often do when reunited.

Sometimes, when individuals in a relationship change, the relationship won’t work anymore. And when a couple lives apart, they often don’t change together and can grow into different people who’re no longer compatible.
Psychologists at the University of Denver studied
870 young couples and found that long-distance couples were more likely to believe that they’ll still be together a year later and that they would eventually get married. But, according to a 2006
study, one-third of long-distance couples broke up less than three months after reuniting.

5. Couples in a long-distance relationship aren’t any less happy than couples living in the same area.

Another myth busted. Long-distance couples may experience more relationship stress, but that doesn’t mean they’re less happy in general.

A study conducted on 700 long-distance couples and 400 couples who lived in the same area found that the two types of relationships weren’t that different from each other. The study found that long-distance couples weren’t more likely to be unhappy, nor were they any happier than couples who lived close together. Researchers concluded that people in long-distance relationships were not worse off in comparison.

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