For many couples, money is a source of stress: They might be facing credit card debt or student loans, trying to buy a house, or figuring out child care.
Talking about it could help. But people in romantic relationships usually brace for a money talk with their partner to be a worse experience than what, in fact, unfolds, according to a new study published this month in Social Psychological and Personality Science.
“They anticipated these conversations would be less enjoyable, informative and socially connecting than they actually were,” said study co-author Ximena Garcia-Rada, assistant professor in marketing at Texas A&M University.
The research included over 1,600 married individuals. Across three experiments, participants were surveyed before and after a talk with their partner about finances. Repeatedly, they emerged feeling closer to their significant other and more aligned than they’d expected.
“This miscalibration appears to stem from underestimating the degree of agreement they would ultimately reach with their partner,” Garcia-Rada said.
