A picture is worth a thousand words. And a meme?
Communication through social networks is, today, essential, and sharing Internet memes is a new tool to communicate: they are short, forceful, they are present everywhere and they stand out emotionally. These characteristics make them capable of influencing human behavior. Understanding why and how external factors (and not just internal ones) influence the way we relate to and love others is an important step on the path to forming healthier relationships. Such an observation led a team of researchers to explore the influence of romantic memes on relationship beliefs (Gala & Ghadiyali, 2020).
What methodology did they use?
To test the relationship between meme consumption and romantic beliefs, the researchers showed participants memes that were “toxic” (i.e., promoted jealousy, seeking guarantees or promises, unrealistic expectations, and insecurity) or that They stressed the value of gratitude, selflessness, unconditional love, tolerance, and freedom in relationships. Participants were then assessed to determine their levels of relationship satisfaction and romantic beliefs.
What did you find?
Even brief exposure to “toxic” memes was enough to alter romantic beliefs: those exposed to toxic beliefs, as well as the control group, were more likely to agree with statements focused on jealousy and insecurity, attachment and dependency, and materialistic exchange.
However, neither group differed when it came to relationship satisfaction. For researchers, this is because humans tend to use cognitive strategies to make sure of their romantic decisions.
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Considering, the authors say, the barrage of memes that most people and especially young people encounter in their daily lives, it is difficult to exaggerate their importance when it comes to relationships.
Bibliographic reference: Gala, J., & Ghadiyali, N.N. (2020). Romantic Memes and Beliefs: Influence on Relationship Satisfaction. Psychological Studies, 65(4), 394-407. https://doi.org/
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