Think spending time with your kids and spouse is the key to your happiness? You may actually be happier getting together with your friends, according to a research conducted by SMU psychology professor Nathan Hudson.

Hudson’s research finds that people report higher levels of well-being while hanging with their friends than they do with their romantic partner or children.

In fact, being around romantic partners predicted the least amount of happiness among these three groups, reveals a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Hudson stressed, however, that the finding has more to do with the activity than the person it is shared with.

That’s because people tend to spend more of their time doing enjoyable activities with friends than they do with family members, who occasionally find themselves together doing unpleasant tasks like chores or caretaking duties.

(With inputs from agencies)