A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder has challenged the old adage that “opposites attract.” The study aimed to investigate the criteria people use when selecting their partners and whether people in relationships tend to be more similar or different. The researchers analyzed data from 199 previous studies and nearly 80,000 heterosexual couples in the UK, examining 22 factors such as political beliefs, education levels, and IQ scores. The study found that people tend to fall in love with those who are similar to them, with 89% of the 133 factors analyzed showing a positive correlation between partners.
The study’s findings contradict the assumption in behavioral genetics that human partner selection is random. According to Matthew Keller, the lead researcher, “Many models in genetics assume that human pairing is random. This study shows that this assumption is probably wrong.” The strongest similarity between partners was found in their birth year, with a correlation coefficient of 0.87. The study also found a high degree of agreement in political and religious beliefs, education levels, and certain IQ measurements. Interestingly, people with similar habits, such as smoking, drinking, or abstaining from these activities, were more likely to enter into relationships with each other.
However, the study also found that there were a few areas where opposites did attract. For example, there was a weak negative correlation between partners’ chronotype (preference for being a morning or evening person), tendency towards anxiety, and hearing difficulties. The lead researcher, Keller, noted that “These results suggest that even in situations where we seemingly have a choice about our relationships, there may be mechanisms behind the scenes that we are not fully aware of.”
Overall, the study provides insight into the factors that influence partner selection and challenges the notion that opposites attract. The findings suggest that people tend to fall in love with those who are similar to them, with only a few exceptions. The study’s results may have implications for individuals seeking romantic partners and for researchers studying human behavior and genetics.
