Revealing the Truth Behind Love: Do Opposites Attract?

In a profound exploration spanning over a century and encompassing more than 130 traits within millions of couples, CU Boulder defies the age-old adage that "opposites attract." Published in Nature Human Behaviour on August 31st, this study asserts that, in most cases (82% to 89% of traits studied), partners are more likely to share similarities, ranging from political leanings to substance use habits. Only 3% of traits, in one part of the analysis, showed a tendency for individuals to partner with those who were different from them.

The research also carries implications for genetics, challenging the assumption that human mating is random. “Assortative mating,” where individuals with similar traits pair up, can influence genetic study outcomes.

A Century's Perspective: Opposite’s Attract

For this study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 22 traits across 199 studies, including data dating back to 1903, involving millions of male-female co-parents, engaged pairs, married pairs, or cohabitating pairs. Additionally, they examined a dataset from the UK Biobank, studying 133 traits across nearly 80,000 opposite-sex pairs in the UK.

The research uncovered high correlations in traits such as political and religious attitudes, education levels, and specific measures of IQ. Substance use habits also displayed strong correlations. However, traits like height, weight, medical conditions, and personality traits exhibited lower but still positive correlations. Some traits, like extroversion, showed little correlation (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Evidence of correlations between human partners based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of 22 traits and UK Biobank analysis of 133 traits

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Rare Exceptions

While the study found little evidence supporting the idea that opposites attract, in some traits, a small negative correlation was observed, particularly in the UK Biobank sample. These traits included chronotype (morning or night person), tendency to worry, and hearing difficulty.

Next-Generation Implications

Couples' shared traits can result from various factors, including growing up in the same area, attraction to similar individuals, or becoming more alike over time. These correlations can have downstream consequences, potentially affecting future generations' traits and even societal divisions.

The study also revealed that correlation strengths vary across populations and likely change over time. The researchers emphasize the need to interpret these correlations cautiously and encourage interdisciplinary research to explore the intricate dynamics of human relationships.

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This research opens doors for deeper understanding of how and why people form the relationships they do, fostering exploration across diverse fields.

Reference:

1. Evidence of correlations between human partners based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of 22 traits and UK Biobank analysis of 133 traits - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01672-z)

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Source-Eurekalert