What is the Romeo and Juliet effect?

Feb 12, 2026 5 min

About this episode

When someone tells you not to do something it often becomes even more tempting, which is why, as a teenager, when your parents forbade you from seeing a certain boyfriend or girlfriend you felt even more passionate about them. Now psychologist have looked into what causes this so-called ‘Romeo and Juliet effect’. Psychologists at the University of Colorado chose the name of Shakespeare's play following an experiment which was conducted in 1972. In the sixteenth-century play, the two protagonists, fall in love despite coming from different sides of a feuding families. What were the results? Does family approval make or break love? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠Is there really such a thing as love at first sight?⁠ ⁠Which foods can hurt your libido?⁠ ⁠How do I know if I sleepwalk?⁠ A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. First Broadcast: 13/2/2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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