The authors start with the widespread
view that women are "more romantic than men, and romantic relationships
are assumed to be more central to the lives of women than to those of
men." But based on recent research painting a different picture, they propose that, relative to women, men actually (1) "expect to obtain
greater benefits from relationship formation and thus strive more
strongly for a romantic partner"; (2) "benefit more from romantic
relationship involvement in terms of their mental and physical health";
(3) "are less likely to initiate breakups"; and (4) "suffer more from
relationship dissolution."
Why should romantic relationships be more consequential to men than to women? It's simple, really: "The basic mechanism [is] that men perceive less intimacy and less emotional support from their social ties beyond romantic partners." In other words, everyone needs intimacy and emotional support, but women can get that from their women friends and family members* while the vast majority of men are not getting enough of that while hanging out with their bros watching sports. So men have to turn to their female romantic partners to get the same kind of emotional support that women are getting from their other social relationships. Men, remember that when you're looking to make some new male friends.
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*One theory is that "women (relative to men) are more inclined to turn to others when distressed in a tending and befriending manner – that is, banding together with others for mutual support, resources, and protection," which causes "the release of oxytocin known to facilitate affiliation and emotional bonding with other people."
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