Focusing on Love Keeps Couples from Cheating

People with wondering eyes need only focus on how much they love their current partner, shows new research on monogamy.

Psychologist Gian Gonzaga studied 60 coupled undergraduates who were asked to select a photo of a member of the opposite sex they found particularly attractive then write a short explanation of why they found that person particularly alluring.

Subjects were then divided into three groups. The first was asked to write about the moment they felt the most love for their current partner, the second to recall the most intense sexual experience of their lives and the third to free write about whatever they chose. They were also instructed not to think about the attractive individual from the earlier photo, but to tick a box each time their minds strayed.

Individuals who wrote about love strayed three times less than those who focused on sex and six times less than those who had no focus.

According to the report, these results illustrate love's role as a "commitment device" which makes other opportunities look less attractive compared to one's partner.

ABSTRACT: Love, desire, and the suppression of thoughts of romantic alternatives