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New research published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science suggests that people view the single life as an opportunity to focus on self-development. Having more time for themselves, being able to focus on their goals, and having no one else dictate their actions were among the most highly rated benefits of being single.
Studies suggest that more and more people are living the single life. While part of this trend may be driven by difficulties obtaining a relationship partner, it seems that a good portion of people are choosing to be single. This rise in singlehood seems to contradict evolutionary theory. According to an evolutionary perspective, people are motivated toward long-term relationships since these arrangements offer the best chances of one’s genes being passed on to future generations.
“Singlehood appears to be on the rise especially in Western societies,” said study author Menelaos Apostolou, a professor at the University of Nicosia. “One reason may be that people see benefits in being single, which motivated me to ask the question ‘what people perceive as beneficial in being single?'”
Apostolou and his co-author Chistoforos Christoforou launched a pair of studies to examine what people consider the advantages of being single. In a first online questionnaire, the researchers asked 269 Greek-speaking men and women to write down some of the advantages enjoyed by single people. Two independent researchers then analyzed these responses and identified 84 distinct benefits.
To narrow down this list, Apostolou and Christoforou conducted a follow-up study where they presented the list of 84 advantages to a larger sample of 612 Greek-speaking people. The participants were asked to rate how important each advantage would be to them if they were single.
Studies suggest that more and more people are living the single life. While part of this trend may be driven by difficulties obtaining a relationship partner, it seems that a good portion of people are choosing to be single. This rise in singlehood seems to contradict evolutionary theory. According to an evolutionary perspective, people are motivated toward long-term relationships since these arrangements offer the best chances of one’s genes being passed on to future generations.
“Singlehood appears to be on the rise especially in Western societies,” said study author Menelaos Apostolou, a professor at the University of Nicosia. “One reason may be that people see benefits in being single, which motivated me to ask the question ‘what people perceive as beneficial in being single?'”
Apostolou and his co-author Chistoforos Christoforou launched a pair of studies to examine what people consider the advantages of being single. In a first online questionnaire, the researchers asked 269 Greek-speaking men and women to write down some of the advantages enjoyed by single people. Two independent researchers then analyzed these responses and identified 84 distinct benefits.
To narrow down this list, Apostolou and Christoforou conducted a follow-up study where they presented the list of 84 advantages to a larger sample of 612 Greek-speaking people. The participants were asked to rate how important each advantage would be to them if they were single.
Having more time to oneself is the top reported benefit of being single, study finds
New research published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science suggests that people view the single life as an opportunity to focus on self-development. Having more time for themselves, being able to focus on their goals, and having no one else dictate their actions were among the most...
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