Movies and television often show romance sparking when two strangers meet. Real-life couples, however, are far more likely to begin as friends. Two-thirds of romantic relationships start out platonically, a new study in Social Psychological and Personality Science finds.
Research shows that conflicts of interest about sex predict negative relationship outcomes and are among the most difficult types of relationship issues to resolve.
Eli Finkel is a professor in the department of psychology and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is director of the Relationships and Motivation Lab, which investigates topics like initial romantic attraction, the navigation of interpersonal conflict, and the influence of relationship partners on our goal achievement.