Couples who use more 'we,' 'us' happier

BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Married couples who use the pronouns "we," "our" and "us" more often than "I," "me" and "you," may have happier marriages, U.S. researchers suggest.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, analyzed conversations between 154 middle-aged and older couples about points of disagreement in their marriages.

Study co-author Robert Levenson, a psychology professor, said the team found those who used "we, our and us" behaved more positively toward one another and showed less physiological stress.

In contrast, couples who emphasized their "separateness" by using I, me and you were found to be less satisfied in their marriages. This was especially true for older couples, Levenson said.

"Individuality is a deeply ingrained value in American society, but, at least in the realm of marriage, being part of a 'we' is well worth giving up a bit of 'me,'" Levenson said in a statement.

Older couples identified more as "we" than did their middle-aged counterparts, suggesting that facing obstacles and overcoming challenges together over the long haul may give couples a greater sense of shared identity, the study said.

The study is published in the journal Psychology and Aging.