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Expressions of appreciation facilitate love and cooperation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2026

Roy F. Baumeister  and
Pay Laurin Jessen Open the ORCID record for Pay Laurin Jessen [Opens in a new window]
Roy F. Baumeister*
Affiliation:
Constructor University, Bremen, Germany r.baumeister@uq.edu.au
Pay Laurin Jessen
Affiliation:
Constructor University, Bremen, Germany r.baumeister@uq.edu.au Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany pay.jessen@uni-hamburg.de
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

We elaborate on importance of expressing appreciation in the formation of maintenance of romantic love. Reciprocal expression of appreciation may be a vital mediator of assortative mating, particularly insofar as human sexual mating forges lasting cooperative bonds essential for co-parenting.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e3
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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