Ancient wisdom says, “Men and women are different.” This implies that there are differences in physiology and psychology between men and women, and there are also differences in the etiquette to be followed. In fact, the differences between men and women are manifested in various aspects of life. A recent study has found that there are differences in the speed at which men and women fall in love.
The study, led by Adam Bode, a Ph.D. student and biological anthropologist at the Australian National University, shows that men tend to fall in love faster than women, but women have a higher level of infatuation with their partners.
Bode stated that while previous research has examined the differences in romantic love between the two sexes, this is the first study conducted on individuals in love, using a substantial cross-cultural sample.
“This is the first time a relatively large cross-cultural sample has been used to study the differences between men and women in romantic love experiences. This is the first time there is convincing evidence to show that there are differences between men and women in certain aspects of romantic love,” Bode said.
He continued, “This study covered 33 different countries in Europe, North America, and South Africa. We were most interested in whether biological gender would affect the occurrence, development, and expression of romantic love.”
In this study, researchers examined survey data from 808 young people aged between 18 and 25 who were in the first two years of a romantic relationship. They compared several aspects of gender differences, including the frequency of falling in love, when they fell in love, the intensity of love, the level of infatuation with the partner, and what commitments could be made.
The study used data from the Romantic Love Survey 2022, the world’s largest database of its kind, covering 1,556 young people who had experienced romantic love, made available to researchers worldwide last year.
The study found that, on average, men fall in love one month earlier than women, women experience slightly higher intensity in romantic love, and women have more longing for their loved ones.
Men are also more likely to fall in love before the relationship is officially established. 30% of male participants said they fell in love before formalizing the relationship, while less than 20% of women said they fell in love during that time.
Bode also mentioned that they found that other individual and ecological factors, such as gender inequality, may play an important role in the intensity, longing, and commitment of romantic love. People from countries with more gender equality have lower intensity in romantic love, less longing for partners, and are less likely to make commitments.
Overall, the study results indicate that any gender differences in romantic love can be explained not only by biological sex but also by the pressures people face in their environment.
Bode gave an example, stating, “In our study, men tend to fall in love one month earlier than women. This may be because men usually need to show commitment to win over their partners.”
He added, “Given the importance of romantic love in family and romantic relationship formation, its impact on culture, and its universality, there is insufficient research on it. We hope to help people understand it.”
The findings of the study were published in the Biology of Sex Differences journal.