But these interactions were more meaningful.

The researchers, L. Crystal Jiang of City University of Hong Kong and Jeffrey T. Hancock of Cornell University, found, not surprisingly, that far-flung couples interacted fewer times per day.

Don't feel so bad for couples who live apart.

The researchers asked 63 heterosexual couples, half of whom lived together, and half whom were in long distance relationships, to keep a diary of one week of interactions with their beloved.

Absence, according to the latest research, does make the heart grow fonder -- as long as there's video-chat, IMing, telephones or texting.

The couples who were in what was once called "geographically impossible" situations tended to reveal more about themselves in each conversation and to idealize their partner's response to each piece of self-disclosure.

Such disclosures and idealizations, studies suggest, are the building blocks of intimacy.

They also spent more time on each interaction.

So it's not surprising that the diaries reflected more satisfaction among the remotely placed partners.

"The long-distance couples try harder than geographically close couples in communicating affection and intimacy," says Jiang, "and their efforts do pay back."

The study doesn't say, but it could be that communicating with somebody without having to worry about decoding their body language made them braver and more forthright.

Why does distance drive people to have deeper exchanges?

Or it could just be that when they had the chance to communicate with their partner, they made it a priority and turned off the TV, looked away from social media or stopped multitasking. Thank you.

Or it could be that having only limited access to their partners made them want to use the time more meaningfully.