Scientific American Features Jeff Simpson’s Research on How and Why Romantic Relationships Matter More to Men
Scientific American released a feature article on a paper recently published by Jeff Simpson, faculty, and two of his colleagues, 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 than women, despite common stereotypes to the contrary. Simpson and his colleagues’ findings reveal that most men expect to gain more from being in a relationship and, therefore, they are more motivated to find a partner. They’re not wrong–some of the gains men experience from being in relationships are noteworthy, including improved mental and physical health. Because of these expectations, men are less inclined to initiate breakups and they experience greater emotional distress and declines in well-being when relationships end.
Jeff Simpson, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota, and director of the Social Interaction Lab.
Composed by Nguyen Kiet Pham, communications assistant.
