Shared Awe Is Linked to Deeper, More Satisfying Romantic Relationships

A new study finds that couples who regularly share moments of awe tend to report stronger connection, deeper relationships, and greater satisfaction.

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A recent study examined whether experiencing awe together can be linked to stronger romantic relationships. Across two preregistered studies involving 198 and 306 partnered adults, people who reported more shared awe with their partner also tended to report greater relationship satisfaction and deeper relationship flourishing. The association remained when researchers considered individual tendencies toward awe and shared amusement. Awe is the feeling that can arise when something seems vast, beautiful, powerful, or difficult to fully take in, such as an extraordinary landscape, art, music, a major scientific idea, or a meaningful human moment. The researchers suggest that experiencing this kind of feeling together may shift attention away from the individual and toward a shared sense of meaning and connection. In the second study, shared awe was also associated with seeing the partner as more closely connected to the self, greater willingness to make sacrifices, and stronger relationship flourishing. The findings are associations rather than proof that awe directly causes better relationships. The studies relied heavily on participants reporting their own experiences, and the researchers note that future work should examine couples together and follow them over time. That leaves an interesting question for everyday life: whether spectacular experiences matter most, or whether the deeper benefit comes from repeatedly noticing something meaningful together.

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