In a groundbreaking study by Sandra L. Murray of the University of Michigan and her colleagues entitled "The Self-Fulfilling Nature of Positive Illusions in Romantic Relationships: Love Is Not Blind, but Prescient" published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, positive illusions in couples were evaluated.  These illusions consist of idealizations of one's partner and the subtle avoidance/denial of his/her weaknesses and limitations.  It turns out, as these researchers found, that these positive illusions aid relationships.  They are involved in overcoming conflict and the inevitable de-idealization of one's partner and "may act as a resource of goodwill or confidence that actually allows intimates to cope more effectively with (or at least tolerate) disappointments as time passes" (Murray et al., 1996, p. 1157).  In the next meeting of the Dating and Relationship Group on Saturday, April 16, 12:00 to 1:15 PM noon, I will talk about the findings of this study in more detail and how the authors linked their findings to the "Disappointment Model" and the "Wish-Fulfillment Model" -- important paradigms for understanding patterns in romantic love.  What is startling is the authors' conclusion that positive illusions seem to influence one's partner to become "more" of what is actually desired in a partner.