Single women are, on average, happier than single men. This is one of the conclusions of a recent study carried out by researchers at the University of Toronto; according to the authors of the work, men would thus have more to gain than women by participating in heteronormative romantic partnerships.
“Our study is the first to establish how gender differences are linked to well-being in a single state,” says lead author Elaine Hoan, a doctoral candidate in the university’s psychology department.
“From there, we can begin to understand why, specifically, single women fare better than single men, and how each person can balance these elements to be well, in their life. »
As part of the work, the results of which are published in Social Psychological and Personality ScienceMs Hoan and Professor Geoff MacDonald examined four aspects of the well-being of almost 6,000 adults: their satisfaction with their marital status, their satisfaction with their life in general, their sexual satisfaction, and how much they want to be in a relationship with another person.
In general, researchers found that women did better on their own than men. They were thus happier to be single, and judged their quality of life better than that of men. The same goes for their sexual well-being. Finally, they were less likely than men to want to be in a relationship.
According to Ms. Hoan, the findings build on previous research showing that men fear being single more than women, and that they have difficulty meeting the expectations of traditional masculinity.
“There’s this notion that to truly be ‘a man’ you have to be the type to ‘get girls’ – it’s a status symbol. But during the early stages of a relationship, men usually have more difficulty obtaining a partner, and therefore accessing sex,” she says.
This is also consistent with the fact that single women are more sexually satisfied than single men. In addition, they have more sexual freedom and can concentrate on their own pleasure, rather than having to prioritize that of their male partner.
The authors of the work were also interested in the age and ethnicity of the participants, in relation to their gender. They found that older single men were happier than their younger counterparts, which corresponds to other previously known data indicating that people tend to be happier, being single, after having crossed the threshold. of quarantine.
-The researchers also found that single black women were more likely to want to form a relationship than white women.
Still, Hoan said, the study can serve as a basis for contextualizing incels — a term used to describe extremist men who believe they are not single by choice, and blame women for their celibacy — within the larger group. single men.
While incels are often studied in isolation, as a misogynistic subculture with its own problems, the general discontent among single men could push some of them to join this dangerous small group, researchers say.
Happier…but why?
And if the study does not provide direct evidence explaining why single women are happier than men, for the authors of the work, there are all kinds of avenues requiring further questioning.
“For example, we already know that in heteronormative relationship structures, women typically perform more domestic tasks than men, in addition to enduring more than their share of the emotional burden,” says Ms. Hoan.
“Additionally, their sexual pleasure tends to be less prioritized and potentially reduced, due to this unfair division of labor. »
The researcher goes on to say that women could be happier being alone because they also have a larger social network to rely on. They are also more financially independent than in the past, which means that the idea of hooking up with a man because he earns a big salary is less important than it once was.
The study, insists Ms. Hoan, helps women who feel social pressure to form a relationship, even if they do not want to. “If you want to stay single, this might make you happier.” »
