Psychologists find out how to tell if your partner really loves you

One of the most important but often overlooked phenomena in the relationship is called “repair capacity”. It's how quickly one partner responds to another's efforts to connect. This brief, almost invisible moment forms a sense of security and trust in a relationship and has a long - term impact on how loving and confident we feel, says psychologist Mark Travers.

The research of children and parents has shown how important these microchropauses are. Children who are exposed to stress have a longer period of time before restoring an emotional relationship with their parent. It wasn't only if they repaired the relationship, but how quickly they did it. Similarly, in adult relationships, the speed with which a partner responds to our efforts to connect has a powerful impact on our feelings of proximity and emotional security”, Travers explains about Psychology Today.

According to psychologist John Gottman, these small attempts to connect are called “oferta” and they form the basis for emotional communication between partners.

These may be seemingly small signals a glance, a sigh, or a simple sentence like view that sunset. It's not just that your partner answers, it's just how fast you respond. At a neurological level, our brain interprets a quick response as a security signal, while delay creates a sense of uncertainty and stimulates anxiety”, the psychologist points out, writes Index.hr.

Research shows that this can change. “The time of repairs” is not a permanent feature, but a skill that can be developed with attention and awareness.

The key is to recognize even the quietest attempts to link facial expressions, tone of voice or comments. There should always be a long conversation; and a look, smile or a simple bend can be enough for your partner to feel: “Listen, I'm here” It is these small and quick answers that preserve the sense of closeness and trust that form the foundation of any stable relationship”, Travers concluded.