Science Says Roasting Your Other Half Makes Your Relationship Stronger

Whether it's their inability to find the washing basket or your penchant for crying whenever you see a documentary about penguins - the happiest couples know how to poke fun at each other's quirks.

But now science has confirmed our suspicions that a good read and laugh at each other's expense can make your relationship stronger - as long as you know where to draw the line.

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Professor Jeffrey Hall, a communications studies researcher at the University of Kansas, US, has reviewed the findings of 39 studies of over 15,000 participants to pinpoint the importance of humour in romantic relationships. His findings will be published in the next issue of the journal Personal Relationships.

According to the professor, the fact that people think you're funny or that you can make a joke out of anything is not strongly related to how satisfied you or your partner will be in a relationship. What is strongly related to relationship satisfaction however, is the humour couples create together. Translation: inside jokes are key to a healthy relationship.

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"Say you and your partner share a quirky sense of humour, but romantic comedies or sit-coms do nothing for either of you," he explained in a statement. "It's not that any style or a sense of humour is any better or worse. What matters is that you both see quirky humour as hysterical. If you share a sense of what's funny, it affirms you and affirms your relationship through laughter."

The professor has written previously about playfulness between romantic partners being a crucial component in bonding because it increases feelings of security.

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But before you open the library and give your partner a good read - the professor says it's important not to make your partner the butt of a joke.

"If you think that your partner tells mean-spirited jokes, then it's likely you've seen that firsthand in your relationship," he explained.

The takeaway: make sure you're both laughing and you'll be, erm, laughing.

Topics: Life News, News, Really?, You, Life, Sex & Relationships, Healthy

Amelia Jones

Amelia is a freelance journalist and editor specialising in beauty, health, fitness and lifestyle. She has previously worked for titles including Women's Health, Cosmopolitan, Stylist, Red and the Mail on Sunday.

@ameliajeanjones