Jan 27, 2025 03:59 PM IST
The study observed that asking for help is preferred when there is a romantic motivation involved.
Flirting is an art and often people don’t know the healthy line to start and stop. But according to a recent study, healthy flirting involves creating a soace of dependency-related help seeking. The study, published in the Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, states that asking for help can help in fostering romantic interest and then taking it forward from there. Also read | Relationship tips: 4 must-do practices for couples to cultivate lasting love and happiness
Dependency-related help-seeking behaviours are associated with enforcing power imbalances. Even though help-seeking in certain instances may be seen negatively, the study states that it can portray the seekers as dependent, and help in having a positive role in intimate relationships.
Evolutionary theories suggest that help seeking can create close bonds in two people, which can benefit a relationship. When romantic motivations are present, the act of seeking help can strengthen relationship formation.
Findings of the study:
The study was conducted on 2,535 participants who were asked to participate in hypothetical scenarios and real-world interactions. The results were striking. It was observed that dependency-related help seeking was more preferred to autonomous way of functioning. The participants recorded that they prefer to help the other person if there is a romantic interest involved. Also read | Want to increase intimacy and connection with your partner? Try these 5 expert tips from relationship coach
During the study, the participants were exposed to romantic cues where they had to imagine themselves spending time with the person they desire to be with. In such instances, seeking help from the other person helped them create more stronger bonds.
“Existing research has suggested a predominantly negative view of dependency-oriented help. In contrast, the current research aims to test the positive function of dependency-oriented help in intimate relationships where interpersonal dependency is valued. We hypothesized that dependency-oriented help-seeking could function in communicating liking and romantic interests and, therefore, can be instrumental in attracting mates. As such, people in romantic relationships were more likely to see a potential competitor as a mate poacher when this person asked for dependency-oriented help from their partner,” the researchers noted. Also read | Healthy relationship tips: 8 ways to be more open to partner’s perspective
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