Trying to understand who seeks open relationships: an evolutionary perspective

TL;DR

This study explores why people prefer open relationships by linking these preferences to psychological traits and life experiences.

Contribution

The study introduces a new questionnaire to measure preferences for open relationships and connects them to evolutionary and psychological factors.

Findings

Four factors related to open relationship preferences were identified, including emotional insecurity and discriminatory views.

Preferences for open relationships are linked to traits like the Dark Triad and sociosexuality.

Childhood economic status and sexual fantasies also correlate with open relationship preferences.

Abstract

Even if monogamy is the most desirable form of romantic relationship in the modern era, humans engage in an array of mating strategies. We aimed to understand consensual non-monogamy (CNM) from an adaptationist perspective by developing a measure of CNM preferences (Open Relationship Questionnaire; ORQ) and linking it to various relationships and life outcomes. Following construct operationalization and a literature search of CNM-related attitudes and behaviors, we generated 69 items as the initial item pool for the questionnaire. In Study 1 (n = 271), four factors emerged: negative perceptions toward CNM, emotional insecurity in open relationships, preferences for CNM, and discriminatory views of CNM, which are related to the Dark Triad traits, life history strategies, mate value, sociosexuality, childhood maltreatment, and romantic love. In Study 2 (n = 272), we confirmed the internal structure of the ORQ and related it to childhood economic status and sexual fantasies. This research offers new and interesting insights into a specific, less (mis)understood mating strategy.

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