Have you been dumped but don’t understand why? Here is a study that might interest you. If a separation is always difficult (especially when you are left and you don’t expect it), psychologists from the University of Liverpool have revealed the six main “red flags”, i.e. the warning signals, considered by men and women as objects of rupture.
This studypublished in the journal Personality and Individual Differencesfocused on 285 American students aged 22 on average. They each took two types of evaluations: the first on the importance of desirable traits in a mate and another on their degree of openness in a relationship. In total, 22 traits presented as “bits of information you learn about a person that could make you lose interest in the potential partner” were offered to the participants.
Warning signs of a romantic breakup
In total, six traits were considered to be warning signs of a romantic breakup. Each “red flag” nevertheless differed for long-term relationships and for short-term relationships, as well as between men and women.
Regarding THE long term relationshipspartner apathy – being inattentive and lacking interest – was the first warning sign in both men and women. Second in line was having poor hygiene, then being too clingy or too jealous.
Which causes the partner to lose all interest:
- Apathy or otherwise the lack of interest and contempt for the interests of the other, appeared to be the main argument likely to end a long-term relationship, particularly because inattention shows a lack of parenting skills among some participants.
- Bad hygiene. This is one of the first points of agreement to break. “People want fertile partners (i.e., don’t smell bad, don’t have STIs, who are attractive) and good parents (i.e., trustworthy, ambitious, attentive, caring) for their offspring,” the researchers indicate.
- Too sticky. In short-term relationships, being too clingy has proven to be one of the biggest turn-offs, particularly because it undoes a partner’s non-reproductive efforts, aka casual sex.
- Addict
- Unmotivated
- Promiscuity, that is to say having been with too many other partners.
Regarding the short term relationshipsthe ranking was slightly different for women and men:
- Lack of hygiene
- Too sticky
- Apathetic
- Unmotivated (for women) / Promiscuous (for men)
- Promiscuous (for women) / Unmotivated (for men).
Women have higher standards
Psychologists have found that women tend to have higher breakup criteria than men. “Because women have higher rates of obligatory investment in offspring, women tend to maintain higher standards“, the researchers said.
Source : Six “red flags” in relationships : From beign dangerous to gross and being apathetic to unmotivated, Personality and Individual DifferencesDecember 2022
Source: www.topsante.com
