Men Actually Crave Romantic Relationships More Than Women Do
Multiple-study analysis looks at why men’s emotional intimacy is much more difficult outside of romantic relationships
Research explores why men seem to find romantic relationships more important than women do.
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Drawing on more than 50 studies of mixed-gender relationships, researchers at Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Minnesota and Vrije University Amsterdam proposed that men, compared with women, expect to gain more from being in a romantic relationship and are thus more motivated to find a partner. According to multiple anonymous surveys, men also tend to experience greater mental and physical health benefits from being in a relationship, are less likely to initiate breakups and struggle more with the emotional toll of a breakup, the researchers wrote in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
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The authors of the new paper suggest that men’s greater dependence on romantic relationships stems from differences in emotional expression, which can often be traced back to childhood. One study in the analysis found that U.S. adults view three-year-old boys who are described as caring and emotional as less likable than boys with stereotypically-masculine traits. Other studies showed that parents emphasize language related to sadness and emotions more with daughters and reward them for expressing sadness while punishing sons for the same behavior.
The key takeaway is “that we all need to feel embedded in a supportive network of relationships,” Visserman says. She adds that it’s wise to invest in relationships beyond romantic partnerships—both to have a support system when a romantic relationship goes through a rough patch or ends and to meet various emotional needs.
An important implication of these findings is the need to foster a culture in which men feel encouraged to build strong, emotionally supportive friendships outside of romance, Hoan says—noting that “this means challenging traditional gender norms that stigmatize male vulnerability and promoting the value of more meaningful friendships for men.”
Clarissa Brincat is a freelance science and health journalist based in Europe.
Source: www.scientificamerican.com