Wendy L. Patrick

5 days ago | qoshe.com | Wendy L. Patrick

5 days ago | psychologytoday.com | Wendy L. Patrick |Jessica Schrader

Strategizing couple time can enhance relational closeness and quality. Sharing daily activities is most effective when partners are actively engaged and responsive. More exciting dates promote relationship closeness and interdependence. Relationship quality is enhanced through attention, interest, and attraction. Taking the time to plan and enjoy dates with your partner reminds them the fire is still burning. But do you go to the bar or the ballgame? Venture out on a picnic, or parasailing?

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Wendy L. Patrick |Margaret Foley

Researchers prefer to discuss narcissistic traits, rather than labeling. Narcissistic traits include a need for admiration, grandiosity, and the absence of empathy. Pathological narcissism is linked with suicidal as well as homicidal ideation. The narcissism-aggression link is stronger under conditions of provocation. The term “narcissism” is met with mixed reactions, as it is used in a variety of contexts, from casual to clinical.

1 month ago | psychologytoday.com | Wendy L. Patrick

Communication skills mediate the link between smart phone use and marriage satisfaction. Some partners perceive smart phone use as “uncouth,” as opposed to intentional or personal. Phubbing threatens the experience of belonging, which reduces the quality of communication. Positive communication skills increase marital quality, even with smart phone use. We have all seen couples dining in public who are totally out of sync.

1 month ago | psychologytoday.com | Wendy L. Patrick

One of the easiest ways to rekindle romance is through authentic, selective attention. There is a strong link between communication skills and marital quality. Good communication skills include effective listening, self-revelation, and empathy. Sometimes in public, we see young couples who appear completely focused on each other, as if becoming acquainted on a first date.