NEW YORK — Think you’re your partner’s better half? If so, you’re in good company. A new survey finds that nine out of 10 people in relationships think they’ve actually made “improvements” to their partners since getting together.
The survey, commissioned by the nontoxic cleaning supply company Lemi Shine, took data from 2,000 Americans in an attempt to better understand how people in a relationship influenced — and were influenced by — their significant other.
There was a general consensus on partners lending positive influence, with 90% of respondents believing they had helped their partner make constructive changes. Conversely, three-quarters felt that they, too, were entirely different people from when they met their significant others — and for the better.
One lifestyle improvement frequently mentioned by respondents was their newfound ability to maintain a tidier house. Since dating their significant other, 57% of respondents cooked more, 40 % left fewer dishes unwashed, and 42% kept their residences cleaner overall.
Attitudes toward a clean living space also improved significantly, particularly among men. The survey found 57% believed they’d grown to be cleaner since meeting their partners, compared to just 29% of women who felt the same way. Seventy-five percent of guys even said that they were planning on doing spring cleaning with their woman sometime later this year.
Influence also extended into personal preferences. One-third of respondents said that their significant other had improved their taste in movies and TV shows, while over half attributed their better dining habits to their loved one.
“It’s clear from the survey that people in long-term relationships make a big impression on one another, going so far as to influence how they dress, what they like or dislike, and even how they feel about domestic chores and tidiness,” summarizes Curtis Eggemeyer, Lemi Shine’s CEO, in a press release.
Music tastes (indicated by 35% of respondents) and fashion sense (30%) also often got a boost from being in a relationship.
Finally, there was a lot to like in terms of traditional personal development. Four in 10 respondents said they were actually calmer as a result of their relationship, and nearly 30% believed that they had a sunnier disposition. A quarter of respondents say their partners made them more fun.
While 75% of men and 67% of women were grateful for how their partner had changed them, nearly as many found themselves annoyed by at least one of their partner’s behaviors, with cleanliness being the most desired improvement.
The survey was conducted by OnePoll in January 2018.