Studies report that coupled ppl are happier:
What’s the issue with these?
So much variability not being accounted for
* Does marriage lead to happiness, or do happy people get married?
* Who is actually participating in these studies?
* Are all coupled people happier than all single people?
* When are these studies being administered – during the honeymoon phase?
* Generational differences
* What about married couples who don’t stay together?
Why: belief that people need a romantic relationship to truly be happy
stemming from societal endorsements of romantic relationship
(And a fear of being single)
What is singlism ?
Dr. Bella DePaulo
“the stereotyping and stigmatizing of people who are single, and discrimination against them”
Do men or women experience more singlism?
No significant difference
BUT women perceive more
What is the Fear of Being Single?
For these people, low quality relationship > no relationship at all
What does the fear of being single predict?
1) Being less selective when choosing a new partner
- Greater willingness to sacrifice for potential partners
- Neglecting family and work commitments
- Doing favours for a potential partner without reciprocation
- Increased willingness to engage in risky sexual behaviour
What does the fear of being single predict?
1.5) Being more selective when choosing a new partner
- Increased standards for stability and family commitment
- Fear of being single → desire for children
- Seeking partner who would be a good parent
What does the fear of being single predict?
2) Increased desire for a romantic partner and less satisfaction with
singlehood
- Intuitively, people who fear singlehood would rather have a partner than be
romantically alone
Fear of dying alone
What does the fear of being single predict?
3) Settling for less in existing romantic relationship
Greater dependence on romantic partner even in unsatisfying relationship
- Less likely to initiate a breakup in unsatisfying relationships
- Greater self-reported willingness to settle for less
What does the fear of being single predict?
4) Longing for an ex-partner
Following a romantic breakup, the fear of single predicts greater emotional
attachment to an ex and attempts to rekindle a dissolved relationship
* This is regardless of who initiated the breakup
- Experimentally priming the fear of being single also predicts emotional attachment to an ex
* Regardless of breakup initiator and time since breakup
What does the fear of being single predict?
5) Increased likelihood of infidelity
- Coupled people with a high fear of being single are more likely to engage in extradyadic behaviours
- Going on a date, kissing, sexual intercourse, etc. with someone other than their existing romantic partner
- Cheating as a backup plan
What does the fear of being single predict?
6) Lower general well-being and mental health outcomes when unpartnered
Multiple studies have found that the fear of being single predicts worse mental health
outcomes in singlehood
* Higher stress, anxiety and depression
* Sexual depressive symptoms
* Lower life satisfaction and emotional well-being
Singlehood, rising / falling?
rising
What factors contribute to well-being in singlehood
Intrapersonal factors
- Age
- Attachment style
- Desire for a partner
- Voluntary singlehood
- Relationship clarity
- Gender
- Personality type
What factors contribute to well-being in singlehood
Interpersonal factors
- Social support and quality of friendships
- Sexual satisfaction
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Class 114
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Class 261
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Class 315
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Class 433
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Class 529
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Class 619
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Class 724
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Class 823
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Class 915
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Class 1021
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Class 1133
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Class 1226
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Class 1322
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Class 14: Attachment 138
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Class 1526
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Class 1631
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Class 17: Sexuality 138
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Class 1842
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Class 19: Conflict 153
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Class 2041
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Class 21: Gaslighting8
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Class 22: Power, Influence, & Violence 132
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Class 2316
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Class 24: Relationship dissolution 17
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Class 2543
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Singlehood16
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Couples Therapy8
