Couples Don't Grow More Alike Over Time

We've got good news (for some of you at least): A new study reveals that contrary to popular belief, couples don't actually grow more alike over time—even after years and years of living together. What's more, the same study found that opposites don't really attract, after all.

The team of Michigan State researchers behind the findings, in conjunction with the folks over at the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research, looked at 1,269 couples who had been married for an average of about 20 years, to see if personality differences between spouses narrowed over time (i.e. if the couples became more alike with every year of marriage). Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that the husbands and wives did not actually grow more alike over time, and the reason many longtime couples share similar personality traits and interests, has more to do with who they were to begin with, than who they married.

Translation: You won't turn into a beer-drinking, sports-loving loudmouth just because you marry one (unless of course, you were that way before). And much to our dismay, a beer-drinking, sports-loving liberal won't become a chick flick-loving, wine-drinking feminist just because he lives with one. Do Opposites Really Attract?

And even though studies have shown that on average, spouses are more alike than random people, that's mostly because rather than falling for our opposite, we tend to be attracted to people who like the same things we do and share the same values, which makes sense to us from a compatibility standpoint. After all, if you can't change a man, you might as well find one that likes the same things you do and holds similar political and religious views (oh, and will at least stand for your taste in movies, too). Why Guys Hate Date Movies

There's one caveat, however: The University of Michigan researchers found that in couples, aggression is contagious. So if you marry a hothead, it's likely that in a few years, you'll also be swearing like a truck driver every time a car cuts you off.

"It makes sense if you think about it," says Mikhila Humbad, the lead study author. "If one person is violent, the other person may respond in a similar fashion and thus, become more aggressive over time."

But even though your personalities may not rub off on each other over the years, your looks just might. You know how dogs start to look like their owners (or is it the other way around)? Well, a different study found that the same thing happens with couples. In fact, the longer a couple stays together, the more they start to look alike. So we guess that's good news if you think your guy's a real hottie, right? Why Couples Start To Look Alike