Prediction of being single or married; Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
The phrase “single life” may conjure up images of a life of free and even unfettered communication in some people's minds. Based on the results of their recent study, researchers at the University of Toronto say that, contrary to popular belief, most singles are introverts and their behaviors are far from the stereotypes often depicted in movies that show singles as people with many connections.
In a study recently published in the Social-Psychological Bulletin, researchers show how certain personality traits, particularly traits such as extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism, predict whether someone is single or married, DiGiato reports.
A new image of the life of single people
“As marriage rates continue to decline and more people are living alone these days, our recent study helps us understand a different picture of single life,” said Elaine Hwan, senior author of the paper. This image goes beyond the sometimes wrong and misleading stereotypes in which single people are portrayed as uninhibited and sometimes miserable. While on average, married people are more satisfied with their lives than singles, it cannot be ignored that there are many happy singles. In some cases, relationships don't play as important a role in a person's overall life satisfaction as you might think. “We found that a person's personality, more than any other item, determines who is satisfied with their single or married life.”
For this study, researchers looked at more than 1,800 participants between the ages of 20 and 59. These people lived alone for at least six months or were married for at least six months.
Participants completed a series of questionnaires that measured personality, relationship status satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and overall life satisfaction to elucidate how personality traits influence well-being in the context of relationship status.
Personality assessment criteria
To measure personality, Hwan used the “Big 5” personality model, which focuses on the following characteristics: extraversion (social and energetic), adaptability (kind and straightforward), conscientiousness (regular and reliable), neuroticism ( anxious, shy and nervous) and openness (curious and creative).
Where a person falls on the scale of introversion and extroversion has a lot to do with whether they are single or married.
“In a world focused on extroverts, introverts are portrayed as antisocial,” Hwan says. The reality is that introverts enjoy their alone time and independence and can regulate themselves emotionally. That is, they can manage their reactions to their emotions. Therefore, an introvert may prefer being single to being married. On the other hand, extroverts are generally happier than introverts (regardless of whether they're single or not), and introversion makes it a little harder to start a relationship in the first place. Because introverts may not often find themselves in social situations. “Other existing research also suggests that being in a relationship may make a person more outgoing by increasing self-confidence and expanding one's social circle.”
Other related features
The researchers also found significant (though weaker) links with conscientiousness and neuroticism traits. Single people are less likely to identify with descriptions such as “keeps things neat and orderly” and “gets things done on time” and strongly agree with statements such as “can be stressful”, “often feels sad” and “is in a good mood”. They were.
“Conscientious people tend to be more goal-oriented, especially in moving toward traditional goals like career and marriage, as well as exhibiting a strong work ethic,” Hwan says. So these characteristics may contribute to their willingness and ability to initiate and commit to a romantic relationship. Depressive symptoms such as sadness and low energy may make it more difficult to continue and maintain a relationship. “While the emotional support you receive in a romantic relationship can reduce these symptoms.”
Next, Hwan will research happiness in married versus single people. She hopes to continue her work challenging societal misconceptions about what people are like and how they prefer to live their lives, whether single or married.
“There's a stigma attached to being single,” she says. You know, people say, “You'd be happier if you were in a relationship, so why aren't you? While this is not necessarily true for everyone. “I hope what people take away from our research is that you don't have to be someone you're not – just be yourself.”
