Harley Quinn and The Joker.
Biggie and Faith.
Beyoncé and Hov.
Apparently, which costume you choose to don for Halloween as a couple says a lot about your relationship. At least Psychologist, Theresa DiDonato thinks so.
According to her, your costume not only hints at who you are as a person, but how you are in your relationship, especially behind closed doors.
DiDonato studied this subject (apparently, it’s a real thing) and sat down with Bravo to discuss it in detail just in time for the holiday.
She said what couples dressed up as were “fundamental markers of relationship success.”
“From the relationship side of things, couples have different approaches to what psychologists call ‘relationship visibility,’” she explained. “We engage in relationship visibility in many ways, if you think about different ways we do this — standing close to your partner, posting pics of them, talking about your partner, for some people this is a really positive way of showing you’re a couple. And that can absolutely be translated to what a couple decides for a costume.”
DiDonato further asserts that deciding on what costume to wear cents on the needs and wants of the two people in a relationship. If they choose to do their own thing, then chances are they’re fiercely independent despite being taken. But if you either didn’t consider your mate at all, or sprung your costume choice on them at the last minute, chances are there’s probably a lack of communication in the relationship.
In other words, Halloween costumes could signify “manifestations of relationship closeness.”
“People can get upset or anxious when one half of the couple doesn’t want to do it because it can mean a lot to a couple to demonstrate to people that they’re a couple,” DiDonato says.
So, why does this matter?
“This extension is important in relationships, it’s a transition from ‘I’ to ‘we,’” she said. “For the self to be part of a joint costume, [it] is interpreted as fun and teamwork and a shared interest, and we may see that as a higher relationship quality.”
And there we have it.
