Locked‐Down Love: A Study of Intimate Relationships Before and After the COVID Lockdown

• Published date: 01 December 2021
• Author: Kanika K. Ahuja,Dhairya Khurana
• Date: 01 December 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12582

K K. A D KLady Shri Ram College for Women

Locked-Down Love: A Study of Intimate

Relationships Before and After the

COVID Lockdown

Objective: To assess love and relation-

ship satisfaction among dating and married

participants pre- and post-COVID-19 lockdown

in India.

Background: Extant literature demonstrates

the impact of stressors like terror attacks and

natural disasters on intimate relations. Yet little

is known about how a signicant stressor like

the COVID-19 lockdown will impact loveamong

married and dating couples.

Method: Data from a convenience sample of

100 participants (65 dating, 35 married) was

collected in two waves, rst in January–March

and then in May after the lockdown. Participants

completed an online survey with measures of

love, relationship satisfaction, self-esteem, and

how they spent time with their partner. Paired

sample ttest, correlation analysis, and thematic

analysis were used.

Results: For both dating and married partici-

pants, scores on relationship satisfaction, love,

intimacy and passion were signicantly lower

post-lockdown compared with the pre-lockdown

period. Commitment for those dating remained

unaffected. Watching movies together and

revisiting old memories was related to love

Department of Psychology, Lady Shri Ram College for

Women, Lajpat Nagar IV Delhi, NewDelhi 110024, India

(kanikakahuja@gmail.com).

Key Words: COVID-19, housework, lockdown, love,

marriage, relationship satisfaction.

for those dating, whereas for married couples,

doing household chores, cooking, and watching

movies together was associated with love.

Conclusion: Passion and intimacy in relation-

ships changed after the COVID-19 lockdown.

How couples spent time with each other during

the lockdown holds important implications for

relationship satisfaction.

Implications: Practitioners who work with cou-

ples must focus on ways in which couples spend

quality time with each other. Norms that dene a

relationship, particularly with regard to partici-

pation in domestic work by men, must be revis-

ited to adapt to the new normal.

Love is among the most fundamental aspects

of the human experience. Love has been

associated with satisfaction with life and sub-

jective well-being (e.g., Adamczyk & Segrin,

2015). Romantic love is an important source of

well-being for both adolescents (Gómez-López

et al., 2019) and married couples (Acevedo &

Aron, 2009). Dating in adolescence is associ-

ated with positive self-concept and good health

(Ciairano et al., 2006). Marital happiness and

support are associated with life happiness and a

decrease in depressive symptoms (Fagan, 2009;

Kamp Dush et al., 2008).

Research has, however, pointed out that love

in romantic relationships declines over time.

Initially positive and romantic marriages show

sharp drops in love, affection, and positive

affect (e.g., Lorber et al., 2015). Stressful life

Family Relations 70 (December 2021): 1343–13571343

DOI:10.1111/fare.12582