Which activities nurture fondness and admiration in a Gottman-informed practice?

• A. Regularly expressing appreciation, recalling positive memories, acknowledging strengths, and journaling moments of admiration.
• B. Avoiding appreciation and focusing on faults.
• C. Suppressing positive memories to reduce vulnerability.
• D. Practicing only during couples therapy sessions.

Answer: (A)

Nurturing fondness and admiration comes from deliberately recognizing and expressing your partner's positive qualities. In a Gottman-informed practice, this means building a habit of focusing on the good and expressing it in concrete ways.

The best choice fits because it centers on ongoing, proactive positive interaction: regularly expressing appreciation reinforces warmth and gratitude, recalling positive memories helps you reconnect with shared joy, acknowledging strengths makes your partner feel seen and valued, and journaling moments of admiration creates a lasting resource you can draw on to reinforce positive perceptions, especially during tough times. Together, these actions cultivate a positive view of your partner and a reservoir of goodwill that supports the relationship through conflict.

Choices that avoid appreciation, dwell on faults, suppress positive memories, or limit positive practice to therapy sessions undermine this warmth. They reduce opportunities to notice and celebrate what’s good, which weakens the positive affect that sustains connection and trust.