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May 2026 Publications on Love & Relationships

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Here are 12 prominent publications on love and relationship studies published in May of 2026, along with following advance online publications, preprints, and posters.

Publications

  1. Marazziti, D., Mucci, F., Gurrieri, R., Palego, L., Betti, L., Giannaccini, G., & Carter, S. (2026). Peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor in stable love relationships: a study in healthy humans. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 1-15.

This study investigated how being in a stable romantic relationship affects levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for brain health and emotional regulation. Researchers compared 60 healthy adults, measuring BDNF in their blood. The results showed that individuals in committed relationships had significantly higher BDNF levels than those who were single, regardless of biological sex. These findings suggest that romantic partnership may positively influence biological markers associated with mental well-being and neurological health

2. Isolani, S., Costacurta, M., Winer, C., Grigoropoulos, I., Olivo, I., & Di Battista, S. (2026). Beyond Sexual Attraction: Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Attraction Measure Informed by Asexual People’s Experiences. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 1-20.

In their study, Isolani and colleagues developed and validated the Multidimensional Attraction Measure (MAM), a novel tool designed to capture a broader range of attraction types beyond the sexual. Informed by asexual experiences, the MAM identifies five distinct attraction dimensions: sexual, romantic, aesthetic, sensual, and platonic. Validated with 1,510 participants, the measure demonstrated high reliability and validity, offering a more inclusive framework for psychological research into human relationships and orientation.

3. Khamisi, A., Condello, S., Hansson, A. M., & Talbot, D. (2026). Falling short in love: height dissatisfaction and dating confidence in Australian adults. Academia Mental Health and Well-Being, 3(1). doi.org/10.20935/MHealthWellB8166

In their study, Khamisi and colleagues explored the relationship between height dissatisfaction and dating confidence among Australian adults. Surveying a diverse sample, the researchers found that height dissatisfaction significantly predicted lower dating self-efficacy, particularly among men. While shorter men reported the highest levels of anxiety regarding romantic prospects, tall women also experienced unique social pressures. The study concludes that height remains a potent factor in “sexual market value,” suggesting that physical stature deeply influences psychological well-being and romantic confidence in modern dating.

4. Langlais, M., Seidman, G., Jiao, C., & Ledermann, T. (2026). A Dyadic Analysis on Social Media Behaviors for Romantic Relationship Quality. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2026(1), 6667233.

In this dyadic study, Langlais and colleagues examined how social media behaviors impact romantic relationship quality among couples. By analyzing data from both partners, the researchers found that “relationship-maintenance” behaviors, such as public displays of affection and positive tagging, were associated with higher satisfaction and commitment. Conversely, individualistic behaviors or monitoring a partner’s activity often predicted lower relationship quality and increased jealousy. The findings highlight the importance of reciprocal digital engagement in fostering intimacy and stability within modern romantic partnerships.

5. Sánchez-Fernández, M., Almeda, N., & Borda-Mas, M. (2026). Problematic Love Behaviors and Correlated Factors: A Systematic Review with Subgroup Meta-Analysis Including Gender/Sex Moderation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1-21.

Across four studies, this study explores how sexual arousal affects risk regulation in initial romantic encounters, where approach motivation competes with the fear of rejection. The findings reveal that sexual priming induces a “tunnel vision” effect, causing individuals to perceive ambiguous social cues as signs of romantic interest. This optimistic bias is mediated by the increased perceived desirability of the partner. However, this perceptual distortion is bounded; it disappears when rejection cues are clear, suggesting that sexual arousal selectively impairs judgment only when the possibility of a romantic connection remains plausible.

6. Zhu, M., Tan, J., Zheng, Z., Liang, L., Li, Q., Wen, J., … & Shu, Y. (2026). Adult attachment and intimate relationship satisfaction among university students: the chain mediating roles of appreciation and sense of giving. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17, 1758775.

This study by Zhu et al. investigates how insecure adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) reduces intimate relationship satisfaction among 536 university students. The researchers identified a significant chain mediation mechanism: insecure attachment negatively impacts “appreciation” (both feeling and expressing it), which in turn diminishes an individual’s “sense of giving.” This reduction in the perceived value of relational contributions ultimately leads to lower satisfaction. The findings suggest that interventions targeting appreciation could mitigate the negative effects of insecure attachment on romantic well-being

7. Wells, T., Hoan, E., & MacDonald, G. (2026). Happily Ever After? Singles’ Expectations of Romantic Relationships Are Associated With Singlehood Satisfaction and Future Romantic Outcomes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 01461672261438616. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672261438616

This study investigated how a single person’s perception of a romantic relationship—more especially, what they believe they will gain or lose—influences their level of satisfaction now and in the future. Researchers divided these expectations into three categories using long-term data from more than 5,000 participants: status (financial or social benefits), negative outcomes (stress and loss of freedom), and intimacy (affection and support). The study shows that being single isn’t experienced the same way by everyone; their satisfaction is deeply tied to the imaginary alternatives they create in their minds.

8. Rempel, J. K. (2026). Conceptualizing Trust in the Context of Close Relationships. In J.P. Forgas (ed.) The Psychology of Trust (pp. 171-184). Routledge.

John K. Rempel’s framework conceptualizes trust within intimate relationships as a progressive, three-stage developmental process that involves predictability, dependability, and faith. Trust originates from evaluating a partner’s consistent past behaviors (predictability), evolves into an assessment of their stable disposition and emotional investment (dependability), and culminates in faith—an emotional leap of conviction allowing individuals to feel secure about the future despite facing unavoidable risks. This multidimensional model shifts interpersonal focus from calculated risk management to emotional security, serving as the foundational glue for long-term relational resilience and stability.

9. Ebner, P., & Szczuka, J. (2026). Understanding romantic relationships between humans and chatbots: A qualitative and quantitative study on romantic fantasy and other interpersonal characteristics. Technology, Mind, and Behavior. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000193

This mixed-methods study explores the psychological drivers behind the emotional intensity of human-chatbot romantic relationships. Combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, the research demonstrates that the capacity for romantic fantasizing is the strongest predictor of relationship intensity, alongside anthropomorphism (perceiving the chatbot as human-like) and anxious-avoidant attachment styles. General loneliness surprisingly plays no significant role. Notably, the study reveals that romantic fantasy operates similarly in both human-chatbot and human-human bonds, as users actively leverage imagination to enrich their digital intimacy and compensate for the technological limitations of AI companions.

10. Pederson, J. R., & Peacock, C. (2026). The Relational Load of Political Dissimilarity in Romantic Relationships. Communication Studies, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2026.2667526

This study explores how political differences impact the relationship of romantic partners through the lens of the “relational load” model. While most couples tend to choose politically similar partners, those with divergent voting behaviors and ideologies experience heightened interpersonal stress. The researchers found that political dissimilarity negatively affects a couple’s communal orientation, decreasing their collective relationship maintenance. This erosion triggers chronic conflict and emotional depletion during political discussions, creating a heavy relational load that damages relational resilience. The study highlights that maintaining a politically discordant relationship requires continuous, intentional investment to prevent emotional wear and tear.

    11. Kounenou, K., Pezirkianidis, C., Findani, D., Kalamatianos, A., & Kourmousi, N. (2026). Perceptions of early attachment experiences and quality of romantic relationships among Greek adults. Psychology: the Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society, 31(1), 143-158.

    This study examines how recalled early maternal attachment experiences shape the quality and styles of adult romantic relationships among 400 Greek adults. The findings reveal distinct developmental trajectories: early experiences of maternal love and low rejection correlate with avoidant romantic styles, whereas experiences of maternal care deficiencies and role reversals—especially when recalled with anger—strongly predict anxious attachment. Additionally, significant gender and age variances emerged, highlighting how early relational vulnerabilities evolve over time. These insights emphasize the value of targeted, interdisciplinary psychological interventions for modern couple therapy and parenting support.

    12. Xia, M. (2026, May). Development and validation of the Feeling Loved Scale (FLS): Felt love from a specific close other and its relevance for well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies 27(5). DOI: 10.1007/s10902-026-01052-0

    By creating and validating the Feeling Loved Scale (FLS), Xia (2026) fills a significant gap in psychological measurement of love and love-related constructs. While prior research focuses on relationship-level dynamics or romantic contexts, this measurement instrument specifically assesses an individual’s subjective experience of being loved by a specific close other. The 12-item scale is grounded in a three-component framework that includes feelings of positive responsiveness, authentic connection, and stability. The scale was validated across various samples and included 758 participants. The Feeling Loved Scale reveals robust psychometric reliability and validity, offering an adaptable, cross-disciplinary tool for examining how felt love influences overall well-being.

    Advance Online Publications and Preprints

    In this study, Birnbaum and Zholtack investigated how sexual arousal influences the perception of rejection in early romantic encounters. Across four experiments, researchers found that sexual priming induces a “tunnel vision” effect, causing individuals to overperceive romantic interest and desirability in potential partners, even when faced with ambiguous cues. This motivated bias helps prioritize approach goals over self-protective fears of rejection. However, this perceptual distortion vanishes when rejection cues are clear, suggesting arousal only impairs judgment in hopeful, uncertain situations.

    In this article, Ismail A. Mageed proposes a novel mathematical framework to quantify love, moving beyond traditional psychological perspectives. By integrating affective computing, cognitive architecture modeling, and complex systems theory, the author defines love as a dynamic synchronization of multi-modal emotional states. The research utilizes acoustic analysis, visual attention markers, and vision-based emotion modeling to create a computational approach to relationship maintenance. Ultimately, the study suggests that the fundamental mechanisms of deep emotional connection can be measured and understood through sophisticated computer science and emotion modeling.

    This paper proposes that love is a dual-function relational architecture rather than a discrete emotion. It synthesizes cross-disciplinary evidence to define love through two structural components: an emotional container that establishes regulatory safety for affect , and an integrative flow-state that drives emotional and cognitive alignment toward systemic coherence. Validated by empirical markers like sexual behavior and the catastrophic systemic collapse of betrayal , this model provides a universal framework for understanding how relational bonds actively preserve or degrade human psychological stability.

    • Malejka, P. (2026). Between projection and regulation: Love, attachment, and parasociality in human-AI interaction [Unpublished manuscript].

    This paper reviews how love, attachment, and parasocial dynamics are operationalized in human-AI interaction research. Synthesizing literature across psychometric, qualitative, computational, and behavioral traditions, the author identifies fragmented methodologies that provide only partial accounts of these emotional bonds. To bridge these gaps, the review conceptualizes these relationships as a hybrid phenomenon. It proposes a grounded distinction between simulated reciprocity (a systemic property of conversational agents) and projective bonding (a cognitive property of user psychology), offering a unified framework for future multidisciplinary research.

    Poster Presentations

    Young, E., Coniku, A., & Imami, L. (2026, May 1). SES and cognitive interdependence in romantic relationships [Poster presentation]. Oberlin College Research Symposium, Oberlin, OH, United States. https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2026/posters/9/

      The study of Young, Coniku, and Imami investigates how socioeconomic status (SES) influences cognitive interdependence—the mental representation of a romantic couple as a single unit. Across two studies involving 468 participants, the authors explored whether SES predicts the use of plural pronouns (e.g., “we,” “us”) during goal-setting tasks and if this interdependence mediates relationship outcomes like commitment and forgiveness. Results were mixed: while Study 1 found that higher education levels positively predicted cognitive interdependence, this effect was not replicated in Study 2, highlighting the complex psychological landscape of lower-SES romantic dynamics.