There’s an assumption that women tend to be mushier when it comes to romance. But you know what they say about assumptions: Research published in the Journal of Social Psychology found that both sexes have similar responses and attitudes to love and romance stimuli, suggesting that women aren’t greater “fools for love” than men.
Despite the research, love is tough to define. Everyone expresses themselves differently, and at the end of the day, gender doesn’t always play a role.
Studies referenced:
Fisher, H. (2005). Romantic love: an fMRI study of a neural mechanism for mate choice. Journal of Comparative Neurology, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16255001/
Galperin, A. (2010). Predictors of How Often and When People Fall in Love. Evolutionary Psychology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22947775/
Harrison, M. (2011). Women and men in love: who really feels it and says it first? The Journal of Social Psychology, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22208110/
Montgomery, M. Love and Dating Experience in Early and Middle Adolescence: Grade and Gender Comparisons. Journal of Adolescence, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9971725/
Puts, D. (2015). Human sexual selection. Current Opinion in Psychology, https://beel.la.psu.edu/documents/human-sexual-selection.pdf
Rupp, H. (2009). Sex Differences in Response to Visual Sexual Stimuli: A Review. Archives of Sexual Behavior, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2739403/
Wilkins, R. (2006). Emotion expression and the locution “I love you”: A cross-cultural study. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147176705000908
Experts:
David Bennett, dating expert and founder of Double Trust Dating
Jonathan Bennett, dating expert and founder of Double Trust Dating
Danielle Forshee, Psy.D., licensed psychologist
Jess O’Reilly, Ph.D., sexologist and ambassador for sexual wellness and sex toy brands We-Vibe, Womanizer, and Arcwave
James Preece, dating expert
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSraOeZpOkunDDxKWjp52jqHyltcWfnKudnpiytHnBnquwnZWjeqm71maknqZdrLyusc1mnZqknGK2r3nLqK2eZZGYsLC%2Bw6KloGWkpHq0r8iepZyd