Use it to write down a list of household tasks—such as doing laundry, walking the dog and taking out the trash—and who’s responsible for doing each. According to a recent study in the journal Communication Research, couples who make it clear who’s responsible for certain household tasks have warmer, more positive conversations than couples who don’t make it clear. And, no wonder! Without a clear-cut list, each partner expects the other to take care of it, resulting in arguments when it doesn’t get done.
[photo: tomeppy]
But, surprisingly, it’s not doing favors for your better half that boosts your appeal—it’s when you do favors for someone else, such as bringing food to a food pantry, driving a neighbor to an appointment or donating clothes to a shelter. That’s the news from researchers at the University of Nottingham in the U.K., who, in a series of recent studies, found that people were more attracted to partners who did selfless acts for others.