3 wrong ways—and 1 right way—to respond to good news from your spouse

Close relationships is one area of life where using positive psychology can make a big difference. According to Shelly Gable, associate professor of psychology at the University of California-Santa Barbara, an important key to understanding a relationship’s strength is how it works in good times, not just whether it withstands the bad. Gable has been researching what goes right in close relationships for years. By studying hundreds of couples, she’s found that when romantic partners disclose positive news, how the other reacts matters—a lot. In fact, partners’ reactions to each other’s good news can better predict the quality of a relationship—and whether it will endure—than can partners’ reactions to bad news, says Gable. [Read more…]