A study published in Personal Relationships suggests that couples report better relationship well-being when both partners are highly comfortable with physical affection. While overall comfort with touch emerged as the strongest predictor of satisfaction, perceived similarity between partners also played a role. These patterns held across mixed-sex and same-sex couples, despite differences in social acceptance of public affection.
Researchers Sabrina Sgambati and Diane Holmberg of Acadia University, alongside Karen L. Blair of Trent University, analyzed data from 1,832 individuals and 86 couples surveyed in 2019. Participants rated relationship quality and comfort with private and public affection, allowing researchers to calculate average comfort levels and the degree of mismatch between partners.
Results showed that higher average comfort—especially in private settings—was most strongly linked to relationship well-being.
Perceived mismatches were more damaging than actual differences, suggesting belief matters more than reality. Same-sex couples reported lower comfort with public affection, reflecting safety concerns, but the overall predictors of relationship health were largely similar across relationship types.