Scientific American Features Jeff Simpson’s Research on How and Why Romantic Relationships Matter More to Men

Scientific American released a feature article focusing on a paper by Jeff Simpson, faculty, and two of his colleagues that was recently published in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. The article highlights a large body of research on how and why romantic relationships tend to matter more to men compared to women, despite common stereotypes to the contrary. Simpson’s and his colleagues’ findings reveal that most men expect to gain more from being in a relationship, and some of the gains that men experience when they are involved in relationships are noteworthy, including improved mental and physical health.  Additionally, they document that most men are more motivated to find a partner, are less inclined to initiate breakups, and experience greater emotional distress and declines in well-being when relationships end.

Composed by Madison Stromberg, communications assistant.