Background
Couples, generally, aim at improving their relationships with their romantic partner. Some research has suggested that thriving relationships require five positive interactions for every negative interaction. These positive connections can occur in everyday routine life; these connections can also occur when couples go on vacation/holiday. In practice, many professionals may suggest to troubled couples that they need to get away to reconnect. However, there is limited empirical evidence supporting the claim that vacations are any better than day-to-day life for human connections.
Research Question
Therefore, we address the following research question: Do couples engage in more positive connection experiences during daily life or on vacation?
Sample Characteristics and Sample Size
The sample included 112 U.S. couples (n=224) in a committed relationship of 12+ months, no children living in the home, and had vacationed together at least two times in the previous year.
Design
Connection experiences of couples were measured using Quality of Connection Experiences of Romantic Vacations (QualCERV, 12-items). Example items include: “We engaged in activities together;” and “We showed affection by kissing, touching or holding hands.” The measure provides three sub-factors: bonding (α=.82), intimacy (α=.83), and novelty (α=.72). Using a nonparametric Paired-samples Sign Test, we compared couples’ ratings of connection experiences during (a) a typical week at home vs. (b) their vacations (~7 days).
Results
Preliminary analysis suggests that vacations provide significantly more positive connection experiences than a typical week at home in all three domains: bonding, intimacy, and novelty (p values <.001 ). The effect sizes for each factor were large (d>1).
Scientific Contribution
Inherent to many positive psychology theories (e.g., PERMA) is the notion that positive relationships are fundamental to wellbeing. This study offers evidence that couples have significantly more positive connections on vacation than at home. Thus, the novel vacation activities and environments may strengthen couples’ relationships by facilitating more positive connection opportunities than the routine activities and environments during daily life.