Actually, opposites don’t attract, study finds
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- ClipsFC
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more from Comedy:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29918403/
Do opposites really attract? A new study finds that when it comes to personality, people seek partners with their same qualities — but claim to want someone who is different.The study, recently published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, asked 760 members of an online dating site to answer questionnaires regarding their personality traits, as well as the traits they would want in an ideal long-term partner. They then were asked if they most wanted a partner that complemented them, or resembled them.
The answers showed a preference for someone with the same sort of personality; the traits, which included neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, all had positive participant-to-partner correlations, ranging from .51 to .62.
These findings are supported by previous research. A study conducted by the University of Iowa in 2005, for example, stated that similarity in personality was more important than similarities in attitude, religion, and values in forming a happy marriage. Like-minded people validate each other's beliefs and views, and there tend to be fewer conflicts as a result.
But despite the personality correlations, the new study has found that 85.7 percent of participants claim to want someone who has their opposite traits.
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ClipsFC
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You know, I used to be attracted to somebody that was an opposite of me. But i found out that we ended up having nothing in common after the initial stage. Sometimes I think its a physical thing, first impression and attraction. Oh i wish we could pick our partners and maybe custom make them like we do with a Dell ;)
- 10 months ago
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ClipsFC
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dcuisinot
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For some of the traits, such as agreeableness and conscientiousness, I don't find it too surprising that people wanted someone similar to themselves. I think it's safe to assume that most people think they are agreeable and conscientious, and who would want a partner that isn't?
While many of the other traits aren't, I think it's rather silly to ask people about their desire for an agreeable, conscientious partner. But that's just me.
- 10 months ago
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dcuisinot
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ClipsFC
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One popular theory is that opposites attract; another is that having a similar partner would be "boring." But Dijkstra says these theories often prove untenable in real life.
- 10 months ago
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ClipsFC
