What did research on long-term married couples reveal about novel activities?

• A. Couples who engage in novel activities report more intense feelings of love.
• B. Couples who engage in novel activities report less satisfaction.
• C. Novel activities have no effect on feelings of love.
• D. Novel activities lead to higher stress in daily life.

Answer: (A)

Engaging in novel activities together can refresh the emotional juice in a long-term relationship. When couples try something new, their brains respond with heightened arousal and positive emotion—the dopamine boost that comes from novelty makes shared experiences feel more vivid and exciting. This renewed arousal and the sense of doing something special together often translate into stronger, more intense feelings of love and closeness. Over time, these fresh, positive experiences counteract habituation, helping long-term couples experience love in a heightened way.

So, the best choice aligns with the idea that trying new things together amplifies romantic feeling. The other possibilities—that novelty reduces satisfaction, has no effect, or increases daily-life stress—don’t fit the observed pattern, which shows a link between novelty and greater felt love.