Most students don’t ask professors for romantic advice, but one professor offered the expertise he has gathered from his research.

On Thursday afternoon, Brian Gabriel Ogolsky, assistant professor in human development and family studies, hosted a Twitter Q & A on romantic relationships.

Ogolsky researches romantic relationships and how they can change both over time and across life transitions.

Question topics included the science behind relationship improvement and deterioration as well as the reasons behind relationship failures.

Twitter users, many of them students, were asked to tweet using the hashtag “#askACES” to have their questions answered.

Twitter user @Kalemonk asked, “What advice would you give to avoid break-up? Are there times when you should break-up?”

“The best way to avoid break-up is to view yourself, your partner, and your relationship as better than others,” Ogolsky said. “Other strong predictors of stability are commitment, trust, love, closeness and satisfaction.”

Twitter user @mjtoddcomm asked how relationships that were started in high school compare to those started later in life.

Ogolsky responded, “We know relationships change over time, but we’re trying to figure out what ways people adapt their maintenance behaviors.”

“Early-on relationships deal with a different motivation for maintaining their relationships, oftentimes mitigating threats,” he said.

Ogolsky continued to answer an array of questions throughout the afternoon, addressing the use of social media and conflict management and how life developments influence relationships.

At the end of the Twitter chat, Ogolsky thanked the participants.

One of the most liked responses of the chat was in response to the question that anonymously asked, “What are some … relationship strategies to put in to practice?”

Ogolsky said, “Positive and open communication, responsiveness and support, joint leisure activity, being generous and thankful.”

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