1 00:00:10,942 --> 00:00:14,063 Intimacy, security, respect, 2 00:00:14,063 --> 00:00:17,412 good communication, a sense of being valued. 3 00:00:17,412 --> 00:00:20,235 These are some of the things that most people would agree 4 00:00:20,235 --> 00:00:22,490 make for healthy relationships. 5 00:00:22,490 --> 00:00:24,426 And researchers would agree, too. 6 00:00:24,426 --> 00:00:27,654 There is a large body of literature on romantic relationships 7 00:00:27,654 --> 00:00:30,879 that has identified the features of healthy relationships, 8 00:00:30,879 --> 00:00:34,400 and the list I just provided contains many of them. 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:35,710 Researchers also agree 10 00:00:35,710 --> 00:00:38,630 on what makes for unhealthy relationships - 11 00:00:38,630 --> 00:00:42,630 things like fighting so much that you just can't work things out; 12 00:00:42,630 --> 00:00:46,121 not being able to go to your partner for support when you need it; 13 00:00:46,121 --> 00:00:49,891 contempt, criticism, hostility, violence. 14 00:00:49,891 --> 00:00:52,833 When these problems happen in relationships, 15 00:00:52,833 --> 00:00:55,604 they can cause significant unhappiness. 16 00:00:55,604 --> 00:00:58,962 They can lead to the end of relationships and divorce, 17 00:00:58,962 --> 00:01:03,696 and they can literally make people physically and emotionally sick. 18 00:01:03,696 --> 00:01:08,206 This is why it is so critical that people have healthy relationships. 19 00:01:08,206 --> 00:01:09,575 But there is a problem: 20 00:01:10,595 --> 00:01:12,125 how many people know, 21 00:01:12,125 --> 00:01:16,255 I mean, really know what to do on a day-to-day basis, 22 00:01:16,255 --> 00:01:18,945 to create healthy relationships? 23 00:01:20,362 --> 00:01:24,441 My point is this: we may know what a healthy relationship looks like, 24 00:01:24,441 --> 00:01:27,411 but most people have no idea how to get one, 25 00:01:27,411 --> 00:01:29,975 and no one teaches us how to do so. 26 00:01:29,975 --> 00:01:34,066 We need to teach people how to have healthy relationships. 27 00:01:34,874 --> 00:01:38,477 Now, you know when we typically do so? After it's too late. 28 00:01:38,477 --> 00:01:41,027 It is called couples therapy. 29 00:01:41,027 --> 00:01:43,773 I do couples therapy, and it can be a wonderful thing. 30 00:01:43,773 --> 00:01:45,742 But many people come to couples therapy 31 00:01:45,742 --> 00:01:51,279 with so many ingrained problems and patterns that they just can't change. 32 00:01:52,269 --> 00:01:53,549 It's too late. 33 00:01:54,459 --> 00:01:58,070 You know when else we try to teach people how to have healthy relationships? 34 00:01:58,070 --> 00:02:00,002 Right before they get married. 35 00:02:00,002 --> 00:02:02,234 It's call premarital education. 36 00:02:03,134 --> 00:02:04,679 And this is a good idea: 37 00:02:04,679 --> 00:02:07,281 teach people how to have a good relationship 38 00:02:07,281 --> 00:02:09,901 while they are still happy, presumably. 39 00:02:09,901 --> 00:02:11,170 And it can work. 40 00:02:11,170 --> 00:02:13,428 But in my opinion, it's still too late. 41 00:02:14,268 --> 00:02:15,268 Why? 42 00:02:15,688 --> 00:02:17,563 Because people have already selected 43 00:02:17,563 --> 00:02:20,176 the person they want to commit their life to. 44 00:02:20,756 --> 00:02:23,279 What if they selected poorly? 45 00:02:23,279 --> 00:02:28,857 No amount of premarital education can make up for a bad partner choice. 46 00:02:31,265 --> 00:02:35,505 So the ways we have tried to teach people how to have healthy relationships 47 00:02:35,505 --> 00:02:37,006 have been limited, 48 00:02:37,006 --> 00:02:40,286 because they fail to address three important things: 49 00:02:41,227 --> 00:02:45,684 genuinely knowing what you want and need in a partner and a relationship, 50 00:02:45,684 --> 00:02:48,037 selecting the right person, 51 00:02:48,037 --> 00:02:51,933 and developing and using skills right from the beginning. 52 00:02:51,933 --> 00:02:55,126 I don't mean the beginning of any particular relationship. 53 00:02:55,126 --> 00:02:58,215 I mean the beginning-beginning, like as soon as possible. 54 00:02:58,615 --> 00:03:02,382 We need to teach people, especially young people, 55 00:03:02,382 --> 00:03:04,794 how to have healthy relationships. 56 00:03:05,414 --> 00:03:09,015 Now, towards this end, my colleagues and I have developed 57 00:03:09,015 --> 00:03:12,040 a skills based model of relationship functioning 58 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,468 that we believe can help people 59 00:03:14,468 --> 00:03:17,384 create the things that lead to healthy relationships 60 00:03:17,384 --> 00:03:21,179 and reduce the behaviors that lead to unhealthy ones. 61 00:03:21,179 --> 00:03:23,639 We've identified three skills - 62 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:27,393 insight, mutuality, and emotion regulation - 63 00:03:27,393 --> 00:03:31,863 that form the basis for what we call romantic competence. 64 00:03:31,863 --> 00:03:35,989 Romantic competence is the ability to function adaptively 65 00:03:35,989 --> 00:03:40,904 across all areas or all aspects of the relationship process, 66 00:03:40,904 --> 00:03:43,190 from figuring out what you need, 67 00:03:43,190 --> 00:03:47,172 to finding the right person, to building a healthy relationship, 68 00:03:47,172 --> 00:03:51,257 and to getting out of relationships that are unhealthy. 69 00:03:51,257 --> 00:03:53,469 I'll tell you more about the skills in a minute, 70 00:03:53,469 --> 00:03:56,999 but first, let me say that we didn't just make this up out of the blue. 71 00:03:56,999 --> 00:03:58,748 We identified the skills 72 00:03:58,748 --> 00:04:02,389 based on a thorough review of theory and research. 73 00:04:02,389 --> 00:04:05,868 And the skills really represent the commonalities 74 00:04:05,868 --> 00:04:08,839 across the major theories and research findings 75 00:04:08,839 --> 00:04:10,370 on healthy relationships. 76 00:04:11,230 --> 00:04:13,759 And because they represent the commonalities, 77 00:04:13,759 --> 00:04:16,197 we think they really can help people 78 00:04:16,197 --> 00:04:19,910 with all the different parts of the relationship process, 79 00:04:19,910 --> 00:04:24,508 and with all different people - whether people in a relationship or not. 80 00:04:25,433 --> 00:04:27,279 So let me tell you about the skills. 81 00:04:27,889 --> 00:04:29,909 The first one is insight. 82 00:04:29,909 --> 00:04:35,129 Insight is about awareness, and understanding, and learning. 83 00:04:35,129 --> 00:04:41,290 So with insight, you'll have a better idea of who you are, what you need, 84 00:04:41,290 --> 00:04:43,800 what you want, why you do the things you do. 85 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,250 So let's say you are being really snappy to your partner. 86 00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:50,049 With insight, you might notice or realize 87 00:04:50,049 --> 00:04:52,561 that it's not that your partner is doing anything, 88 00:04:52,561 --> 00:04:54,809 but actually you're really stressed out at work. 89 00:04:54,819 --> 00:04:57,208 What you really need is to relax a little bit, 90 00:04:57,208 --> 00:04:59,790 so it doesn't bleed out over into your relationship. 91 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,879 Insight will also let you know your partner better. 92 00:05:03,879 --> 00:05:06,160 Let's say your partner shows up late for a date. 93 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,710 With insight, you'll know why. 94 00:05:08,710 --> 00:05:11,499 For example, maybe your partner is late for everything. 95 00:05:11,499 --> 00:05:13,829 It's nothing about you or the relationship. 96 00:05:13,829 --> 00:05:15,719 That's just who your partner is. 97 00:05:16,479 --> 00:05:18,736 With insight, you'll be able to anticipate 98 00:05:18,736 --> 00:05:22,288 the positive and negative consequences of your behavior. 99 00:05:23,208 --> 00:05:26,731 For example, you'll know that if you send that nasty text, 100 00:05:26,731 --> 00:05:28,520 it is not going to go well. 101 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,016 Maybe you'd better make a phone call instead. 102 00:05:32,226 --> 00:05:35,075 With insight, you will be able to learn from your mistakes 103 00:05:35,075 --> 00:05:38,781 in ways that allow you to behave differently in the future. 104 00:05:38,781 --> 00:05:41,431 So maybe you'll recognize that you're the kind of person 105 00:05:41,431 --> 00:05:43,461 who tends to jump in really quickly - 106 00:05:43,461 --> 00:05:46,040 you get wrapped up in the romance of things - 107 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,331 and then things don't go well. 108 00:05:48,331 --> 00:05:49,689 So you might be able to say, 109 00:05:49,689 --> 00:05:51,310 "Well, you know what the next time 110 00:05:51,310 --> 00:05:54,033 I'm just going to take things a little more slowly 111 00:05:54,033 --> 00:05:56,371 and not repeat the same mistake. 112 00:05:57,460 --> 00:05:59,930 And with insight, you'll have a better understanding 113 00:05:59,930 --> 00:06:03,560 about what's really right for you in a relationship. 114 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,070 Maybe you're the kind of person 115 00:06:05,070 --> 00:06:07,222 who really needs a monogamous relationship. 116 00:06:07,222 --> 00:06:10,951 You are not OK with your partner seeing other people. 117 00:06:10,951 --> 00:06:13,691 Or maybe you'll realize it's just the opposite, 118 00:06:13,691 --> 00:06:15,482 that you're not ready to settle down, 119 00:06:15,482 --> 00:06:18,101 and you need a partner who is OK with that. 120 00:06:18,101 --> 00:06:19,553 So that's insight. 121 00:06:20,413 --> 00:06:22,611 The second skill is mutuality. 122 00:06:22,611 --> 00:06:26,421 Mutuality is about knowing that both people have needs, 123 00:06:26,421 --> 00:06:29,502 and that both sets of needs matter. 124 00:06:29,502 --> 00:06:30,621 With mutuality 125 00:06:30,621 --> 00:06:35,312 you'll be able to convey your own needs in a clear direct fashion 126 00:06:35,312 --> 00:06:38,322 that increases the likelihood that you'll get them met. 127 00:06:38,322 --> 00:06:41,134 Let's say you have to go to a really stressful family event, 128 00:06:41,134 --> 00:06:43,427 and you'd like your partner to be there with you. 129 00:06:43,427 --> 00:06:45,053 You might say directly: 130 00:06:45,053 --> 00:06:47,265 "You know this is going to be stressful for me. 131 00:06:47,265 --> 00:06:49,045 I'd really love for you to be there; 132 00:06:49,045 --> 00:06:51,030 you'll be a really good buffer for me. 133 00:06:51,030 --> 00:06:54,256 Is there any way you can clear your schedule to come with me?" 134 00:06:55,222 --> 00:06:57,214 With mutuality, 135 00:06:57,214 --> 00:07:01,035 you'll be willing to meet your partner's needs as well. 136 00:07:01,384 --> 00:07:04,576 Let's say you know that your partner really likes to go to the gym 137 00:07:04,576 --> 00:07:05,927 first thing in the morning, 138 00:07:05,927 --> 00:07:08,522 it makes your partner feel better the rest of the day. 139 00:07:08,522 --> 00:07:12,912 Mutuality will let you be willing to support your partner in this, 140 00:07:12,912 --> 00:07:16,861 even though you'd really rather have your partner stay home, in bed with you. 141 00:07:17,961 --> 00:07:22,295 And mutuality also lets you factor both people's needs 142 00:07:22,295 --> 00:07:25,704 into decisions that you make about your relationship. 143 00:07:25,704 --> 00:07:28,858 So let's say you get a great job offer that you'd like to take, 144 00:07:28,858 --> 00:07:31,317 but you know it means you will to have to work more, 145 00:07:31,317 --> 00:07:33,106 and you know how important it is 146 00:07:33,106 --> 00:07:36,055 for both you and your partner to spend time together. 147 00:07:36,055 --> 00:07:38,856 With a mutual approach, you might say, 148 00:07:38,856 --> 00:07:40,906 "You know, I'd really like to take this job, 149 00:07:40,906 --> 00:07:42,415 it's really important to me, 150 00:07:42,415 --> 00:07:45,716 but I also am concerned about us spending time together. 151 00:07:45,716 --> 00:07:48,657 If I promise to protect some time for us, 152 00:07:48,657 --> 00:07:51,726 will you be OK with me taking this job?" 153 00:07:51,726 --> 00:07:54,477 That's a mutual approach to relationships. 154 00:07:55,459 --> 00:07:57,726 The third skill is emotion regulation. 155 00:07:57,726 --> 00:08:01,171 And emotion regulation is about regulating your feelings 156 00:08:01,171 --> 00:08:04,646 in response to things that happen in your relationship. 157 00:08:05,366 --> 00:08:09,747 With emotion regulation, you'll be able to ... 158 00:08:10,627 --> 00:08:12,359 keep your emotions calm 159 00:08:12,359 --> 00:08:15,719 and keep things that happen in your relationship in perspective. 160 00:08:16,659 --> 00:08:19,478 So, you might think: "Oh, my goodness. 161 00:08:19,478 --> 00:08:21,857 This is a disaster! This is the worst thing ever! 162 00:08:21,857 --> 00:08:23,553 How am I going to handle this?" 163 00:08:24,253 --> 00:08:26,278 With emotion regulation, you'll think: 164 00:08:26,278 --> 00:08:28,569 "You know what, I can handle this. 165 00:08:28,569 --> 00:08:30,006 This is going to be all right. 166 00:08:30,006 --> 00:08:32,953 There is a way to deal with this. I'm going to figure this out. 167 00:08:32,953 --> 00:08:34,597 Everything is going to be OK." 168 00:08:35,297 --> 00:08:36,938 With emotion regulation, 169 00:08:36,938 --> 00:08:40,304 you'll be able to tolerate uncomfortable feelings 170 00:08:40,304 --> 00:08:42,593 and not act out on them impulsively, 171 00:08:42,593 --> 00:08:46,131 so you'll to be able to think through your decisions more clearly. 172 00:08:46,131 --> 00:08:49,007 So let's say your waiting for your partner to text you back. 173 00:08:49,007 --> 00:08:51,550 That text isn't coming; you're getting really anxious; 174 00:08:51,550 --> 00:08:53,761 you're checking your phone every two seconds. 175 00:08:53,761 --> 00:08:56,552 With emotion regulation, you'll be able to tell yourself, 176 00:08:56,552 --> 00:08:58,252 "You know what? Calm down. 177 00:08:58,252 --> 00:08:59,648 The text is going to come. 178 00:08:59,648 --> 00:09:02,199 I don't need to check my phone every second; 179 00:09:02,199 --> 00:09:06,147 I'm just going to put it away and focus on the task at hand." 180 00:09:07,047 --> 00:09:08,846 And with emotion regulation, 181 00:09:08,846 --> 00:09:11,901 you'll be able to maintain a sense of self-respect 182 00:09:11,901 --> 00:09:13,470 and commitment to your needs, 183 00:09:13,470 --> 00:09:16,237 even when bad things happen in your relationship. 184 00:09:16,707 --> 00:09:18,372 So let's say you have a breakup. 185 00:09:18,372 --> 00:09:22,574 You're feeling really depressed; you're really missing your partner. 186 00:09:22,574 --> 00:09:23,727 With emotion regulation, 187 00:09:23,727 --> 00:09:26,606 you'll be able to let yourself know that it is OK; 188 00:09:26,606 --> 00:09:28,800 that, yeah, you're going to feel depressed, 189 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,272 but you're going to get over it and get through this. 190 00:09:31,272 --> 00:09:33,663 If you beg and plead to get back together, 191 00:09:33,663 --> 00:09:35,757 you're not going to feel good about yourself, 192 00:09:35,757 --> 00:09:37,956 and you don't even want to be in a relationship 193 00:09:37,956 --> 00:09:39,452 that wasn't good for you. 194 00:09:40,422 --> 00:09:44,302 So insight, mutuality, and emotion regulation. 195 00:09:44,302 --> 00:09:49,690 I believe it's people's ability to use the skills on a day-to-day basis 196 00:09:49,690 --> 00:09:52,721 that lets them have healthy relationships. 197 00:09:52,721 --> 00:09:55,751 So let me give you an example of how this works. 198 00:09:55,751 --> 00:09:58,380 The other day I was talking to someone, and she said 199 00:09:58,380 --> 00:10:01,620 that when her partner asked her what she wanted for her birthday, 200 00:10:01,620 --> 00:10:03,828 she told him she didn't want anything. 201 00:10:03,828 --> 00:10:05,839 So guess what? She didn't get anything. 202 00:10:05,839 --> 00:10:08,520 And she got really angry, and they had a big fight. 203 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:10,040 Why? 204 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,440 Because she really did want a present, she just didn't want to tell him; 205 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,669 she just wanted him to somehow know. 206 00:10:15,669 --> 00:10:16,980 It is called mind reading. 207 00:10:16,980 --> 00:10:19,939 It is a terrible idea; it never works. 208 00:10:19,939 --> 00:10:22,505 Had she been using the skills, 209 00:10:22,505 --> 00:10:26,235 insight would have let her know herself well enough to realize 210 00:10:26,235 --> 00:10:28,070 that she really did want something, 211 00:10:28,070 --> 00:10:30,756 and if she didn't get it, she was going to be mad. 212 00:10:30,756 --> 00:10:34,920 Insight also would have let her know that her partner was the kind of guy 213 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,541 who was just going to take what she said literally. 214 00:10:38,591 --> 00:10:43,584 Mutuality would have let her really ask for what she wanted, 215 00:10:43,584 --> 00:10:45,647 directly and clearly. 216 00:10:46,050 --> 00:10:50,826 And emotion regulation would have let her deal with any feelings she was having 217 00:10:50,826 --> 00:10:53,164 that were getting in the way of doing that. 218 00:10:53,164 --> 00:10:55,117 So maybe she was feeling kind of anxious: 219 00:10:55,117 --> 00:10:58,023 What would he think if I asked for what I needed? 220 00:10:58,023 --> 00:11:00,045 Or maybe she was feeling guilty, you know. 221 00:11:00,045 --> 00:11:02,016 She knows they are saving for a big trip, 222 00:11:02,016 --> 00:11:06,244 and she maybe thought that he would think that she was kind of greedy or something. 223 00:11:07,668 --> 00:11:10,927 So if she had used the skills, she would have been able to say, 224 00:11:10,927 --> 00:11:11,927 "You know what? 225 00:11:11,927 --> 00:11:13,734 I know we are saving for that trip, 226 00:11:13,734 --> 00:11:16,456 but I really like that necklace that we saw the other day, 227 00:11:16,456 --> 00:11:18,099 and it wasn't that expensive." 228 00:11:18,099 --> 00:11:20,048 He would have gotten it for her. 229 00:11:20,048 --> 00:11:22,558 She would have felt respected and valued. 230 00:11:22,558 --> 00:11:24,316 He would have been happy. 231 00:11:24,316 --> 00:11:26,457 They would have felt more intimate. 232 00:11:26,457 --> 00:11:29,707 This whole birthday gift thing would have gone well, 233 00:11:29,707 --> 00:11:31,472 instead of ending in a fight 234 00:11:31,472 --> 00:11:33,557 that could really damage their relationship. 235 00:11:34,942 --> 00:11:37,266 Now, this was just an anecdote. 236 00:11:37,266 --> 00:11:39,834 We have data to support this as well. 237 00:11:40,770 --> 00:11:43,062 I've been studying romantic competence, 238 00:11:43,062 --> 00:11:47,118 the ability for people to use insight, mutuality, and emotion regulation, 239 00:11:47,779 --> 00:11:49,457 among young people. 240 00:11:49,457 --> 00:11:50,555 In one of our studies, 241 00:11:50,555 --> 00:11:54,486 we looked at 13- and 14-year-old girls, early adolescent girls, 242 00:11:54,486 --> 00:11:59,279 and we found that girls who were more romantically competent 243 00:11:59,609 --> 00:12:01,785 felt more secure in their relationships. 244 00:12:01,785 --> 00:12:03,846 They felt comfortable being close to people, 245 00:12:03,846 --> 00:12:07,845 they could trust people, they weren't worried about being rejected. 246 00:12:08,695 --> 00:12:12,384 Girls who are more romantically competent reported fewer depressive symptoms, 247 00:12:12,384 --> 00:12:14,220 they had better mental health. 248 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,329 They also were more positive 249 00:12:17,329 --> 00:12:19,875 about their expectations about marriage in the future; 250 00:12:19,875 --> 00:12:22,778 they were more optimistic that it could go well. 251 00:12:23,348 --> 00:12:25,665 Girls with greater romantic competence 252 00:12:25,665 --> 00:12:30,645 were engaging in more typical romantic activities for their age, 253 00:12:30,645 --> 00:12:34,854 things that were normative, like dating and flirting 254 00:12:34,854 --> 00:12:38,298 and affectionate behaviors like hugging and kissing. 255 00:12:38,928 --> 00:12:41,850 And girls who were more romantically competent 256 00:12:41,850 --> 00:12:44,152 were engaging in fewer ... 257 00:12:45,312 --> 00:12:48,602 atypical, sexual activities, like sexual intercourse, 258 00:12:48,602 --> 00:12:52,703 which can be considered pretty risky for a 13- and 14-year-old girl. 259 00:12:53,136 --> 00:12:56,904 So, even at an early age, 13 and 14 years old, 260 00:12:56,904 --> 00:13:00,239 when these girls mostly were not even in relationships, 261 00:13:00,239 --> 00:13:02,920 the more romantically competent they were, 262 00:13:03,630 --> 00:13:06,584 the more adaptive relational functioning they were showing, 263 00:13:06,584 --> 00:13:09,013 and the better mental health they were showing. 264 00:13:09,513 --> 00:13:15,353 We see the same things among young adults, 18 to 25 years old: 265 00:13:15,353 --> 00:13:20,504 More romantically competent men and women feel more secure in relationships. 266 00:13:21,384 --> 00:13:23,697 They also report making better decisions, 267 00:13:23,697 --> 00:13:26,559 they can see the warning signs when things aren't going well 268 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:29,281 and make conscious decisions with confidence. 269 00:13:30,205 --> 00:13:34,894 They're also better at seeking and providing support to their partners. 270 00:13:34,894 --> 00:13:37,813 So, they are more willing to ask for what they need 271 00:13:37,813 --> 00:13:40,008 and use what their partners give them. 272 00:13:40,008 --> 00:13:43,731 And they are better at providing helpful support when needed. 273 00:13:43,731 --> 00:13:45,699 And this isn't just what they told us, 274 00:13:45,699 --> 00:13:48,455 we actually observed them doing this in our laboratory, 275 00:13:48,455 --> 00:13:53,116 where we asked them to talk with one another about a personal problem. 276 00:13:55,213 --> 00:13:57,874 Young people who were more romantically competent 277 00:13:57,874 --> 00:14:00,616 also were more satisfied in their relationships, 278 00:14:00,616 --> 00:14:02,279 they were happier. 279 00:14:02,279 --> 00:14:05,210 And again, they reported fewer depressive symptoms 280 00:14:05,210 --> 00:14:08,188 and also fewer anxiety symptoms. 281 00:14:08,188 --> 00:14:09,546 So overall, 282 00:14:10,621 --> 00:14:13,436 being romantically competent at a young age 283 00:14:13,436 --> 00:14:18,296 is associated with greater, more adaptive relationship functioning 284 00:14:18,296 --> 00:14:20,486 and greater individual well being. 285 00:14:21,191 --> 00:14:23,258 And this brings me back to my point 286 00:14:23,258 --> 00:14:27,765 that we need to be teaching people how to have healthy relationships. 287 00:14:28,929 --> 00:14:30,866 So, like I said earlier on, 288 00:14:31,276 --> 00:14:34,046 we may know what a healthy relationship looks like, 289 00:14:34,046 --> 00:14:36,590 but most people have no idea how to get one, 290 00:14:36,590 --> 00:14:39,500 and no one teaches us how to do so. 291 00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:41,328 And this is a problem. 292 00:14:41,328 --> 00:14:47,081 We need to help people genuinely know what they want and need in a relationship. 293 00:14:47,461 --> 00:14:49,950 We need to help them select the right partner. 294 00:14:50,475 --> 00:14:52,877 We need to help them make good decisions 295 00:14:52,877 --> 00:14:56,061 and deal with the challenges that relationships bring. 296 00:14:56,711 --> 00:15:00,329 And we need to help them build and use skills 297 00:15:00,329 --> 00:15:02,389 right from the beginning. 298 00:15:02,389 --> 00:15:05,787 This is what the notion of romantic competence is all about. 299 00:15:06,528 --> 00:15:11,343 It's all about using insight, mutuality, and emotion regulation 300 00:15:11,343 --> 00:15:15,486 to reduce the behaviors that lead to unhealthy relationships, 301 00:15:15,486 --> 00:15:18,174 like fighting, and poor support, 302 00:15:18,174 --> 00:15:21,514 and hostility, and criticism, and contempt, and violence. 303 00:15:21,984 --> 00:15:25,698 And create the things that lead to healthy relationships, 304 00:15:25,698 --> 00:15:30,111 like intimacy, security, respect, good communication, 305 00:15:30,111 --> 00:15:32,568 and a sense of being valued. 306 00:15:33,028 --> 00:15:36,088 And wouldn't all of our relationships benefit from this? 307 00:15:36,088 --> 00:15:37,921 I think they would. 308 00:15:37,921 --> 00:15:39,025 Thank you. 309 00:15:39,025 --> 00:15:41,515 (Applause)