Not once have people in intimate relationships heard the words “be yourself.” Far from being an abstract concept, or just a catchy phrase, the advice may actually be rooted in scientific fact. A group of researchers has recently released the conclusions of a new study they conducted, which has shown that relationships are affected by factors such as how people see themselves, whether they stick by their beliefs and principles or not, and the level of honesty and truthfulness in their interactions with others. According to LiveScience, all of this is extremely important for the connections that people form with others and also for how long these connections last.

During the investigation, the researchers concluded that people who reported being most true to themselves tended to have more positive outcomes in their relationships. “If you're true to yourself, it is easier to act in ways that build intimacy in relationships, and that's going to make your relationship more fulfilling,” explains Ohio State University Newark campus psychology professor Any Brunell, who is also the author of the new study. Details of the investigation have been published online in the March 5 issue of the esteemed journal Personality and Individual Differences.

The experiments involved 62 couples made of college students. The participants had to attend three study sessions, each of them spaced two weeks apart. In the first one, they had to quantify their dispositional authenticity, as well as to estimate how true they were being to themselves. In the next session, the students were given questionnaires that contained queries about the state of their relationships. The questions included such things as whether the participants were willing and open to discuss their feelings and problems with their partner, and also about whether they had secrets. Assessing relationship satisfaction and personal well-being was the purpose of the third visit.

At the end of the study period, the statistical correlations were very clear. Those who reported being more true to themselves were highly unlikely to engage in disruptive behaviors towards their partners, and were also more likely to experience a deeper and more intimate relationship. This also came with an added plus, as these participants reported an increased sense of personal well-being as well, at the end of the study period. “Typically in dating and marital relationships, the women tend to be 'in charge' of intimacy in the relationship. So when men have this dispositional authenticity, and want to have an open, honest relationship, it makes women's job easier – they can more easily regulate intimacy,” the team leader concludes.