The language of love is rich and nuanced. “Fish”, “bunny” and “baby” are just some of the commonplace nicknames that people in love give each other. And, although skeptics ridicule them for this, it turns out that sincere couples in love are perplexed by this laughter.
Therefore, recent research is trying to shed light on how much the use of nicknames actually makes your relationship stronger.
According to a survey of 1,026 adults conducted by Superdrug Online Doctor, using such pet names increases relationship satisfaction by 16 percent in the US and nine percent in European countries.
The survey showed that more than two-thirds of all respondents would prefer to be called such “names”. In addition, using them can be beneficial because it promotes feelings of intimacy between partners and enhances emotional bonds.
Nicknames can be a sign that you are comfortable with each other and have mastered the language of love.
Participants were between the ages of 20 and 71 and had to be in a romantic relationship for one month or more to take part in the study; 49 percent of the respondents were Europeans and 51 percent were Americans.
This isn’t the first time nicknames have been hailed as a measure of relationship satisfaction.
A study published in 1993 looked at the use of fancy idioms in married couples. It was in the course of it that it was discovered that those who use nicknames tend to be happier in relationships than those who did not.
The results also suggest that the use of spouses’ “cute names” declined over the course of their relationship: those who had children and were married the longest used them much less frequently.
