A recent study conducted by the University of Illinois found that in general, relationships can be sorted into four basic groups. The study surveyed 376 couples, asking them to keep a detailed log of how committed they felt about their partner. While there were outliers, experts concluded there were four distinct couple categories.
Type #1: The dramatic couple
This is the most common type of couple in the study. These partners experience the most amount of change in their level of commitment over the course of the relationship. Individuals in dramatic relationships were the lowest in emotional intimacy out of all groups in the study.
Type #2: The conflicted couple
While conflicted couples experience a lot of passionate love, they also experience more fights than other couples on this list. These couples share little-to-no common interests and spent less free time together than they do with friends.
Type #3: The social couple
These couples often share the same friends and social networks. They have a more "friendship-based" love compared to other couples. Social couples have a lot in common and are influenced heavily by social media.
Type #4: The partner-focused couple
Partner-focused couples have the highest level of relationship satisfaction out of all four types. They tend to spend the majority of their free time together and share many common interests. Partner-focused couples have a strong level of commitment and are the most likely of all relationship types to marry.