You might assume that those approaching their twilight years may no longer have the spark for passion-filled romances. But, accordin...
You might assume that those approaching their twilight years may no longer have the spark for passion-filled romances.
But, according to research, the older generation still regard desiring their partner as an important factor in their love lives.
In
a study which separated a person's needs from the length of their
relationship, psychologists found that, although there was a slight drop
in the importance placed on sexual attraction after the age of 60, it
did not dip further after that.
And the
report, which analysed data from people aged 20-95, found that the need
for cosy companionship was no greater in the older daters than the
younger ones.
'Contrary
to the stereotype, older adults still value sexual attraction quite
highly,' said the researchers from the University of California.
'There is no consistent evidence that communication or companionate characteristics are valued more at older ages.'
For
their study, the academics analysed data from nearly 5,500 men and
women who had signed up to the online dating site eHarmony.
The
site asks users to complete a mandatory questionnaire that scrutinises
their characteristics and goals, by asking them to rate the importance
of various items on a scale.
The
researchers split the data into four groups: 'young' users under age
40, 'middle-aged' users aged 40-59, 'young-old' users age 60-74 and
'old-old' users age 75 and above.
While
there was evidence that 'users approaching age 60 and older valued
sexual attraction less than younger users…there were no significant age
differences among the users older than 60, and they still valued sexual
attraction highly', the researchers wrote in the journal Psychology & Aging.
'Overall, young-old and old-old users had similar preferences in this sample.'
The
researchers said that while older adults tend to have longer
relationships, which in turn are associated with 'declining sexual,
passionate love and more friendship-based, companionate love', by
studying new relationships they were able to analyse the influence of
'age separate from relationship duration'.
'Comparing
younger and older adults seeking a new relationship provides a more
equivalent starting point than comparing long-time married couples to
newlyweds,' they wrote.
Josephine
Menkin, one of the study's authors, added that often people resist
starting a new relationship in later life because of certain 'barriers',
such as concerns about upsetting adult children.
'It
is possible that older adults who are using online dating are
especially highly motivated to re-partner, and sexual interest may be
one of the motivating factors that encourages people to actively seek a
partner online, instead of just seeing if they happen to meet someone in
person,' she said.
Less
surprisingly, the researchers found that across the age groups, men
consistently valued sexual attraction slightly more than women, with
ladies placing a greater relative emphasis on companionship than the
chaps.
Additionally,
they found that divorcees were more concerned with feeling the spark of
desire with a new partner than the daters who had never been married.
CAN SHARING A HUSBAND BE GOOD FOR WOMEN? POLYGAMOUS HOUSEHOLDS ARE WEALTHIER AND HAVE HEALTHIER CHILDREN
It's the dream of some men and the nightmare of others.
But now scientists have discovered that having multiple wives can actually be good for the entire family.
A
new study into polygyny - where a man has more than one wife (polygamy
is the umbrella term for multiple marriages) - found it lead to greater
health and wealth for women and their children.
While
countries around the globe ban or restrict marriages to more than one
spouse at a time, UC Davis researchers looked at the established
practice in parts of Tanzania.
They
compared polygynous and monogamous households in 56 villages in
northern parts of the country, where polygyny is widespread among
certain ethnic groups, including the Maasai.
It was found that polygynous households often had better access to food and healthier children.
They also owned more cattle and farmed more land than monogamous households.
'If
you have a choice of a guy who has 180 cows, lots of land and other
wives, it might be better for you to marry him rather than a guy who has
no wives, three cows and one acre,' said anthropologist and study lead,
Monique Borgerhoff Mulder.
Scientists
suggest the findings support early accounts of marriage - that polygyny
can be in a woman's strategic interest when they depend on men for
resources.
The practice of taking several wives has been practiced for many centuries by cultures from all over the world.
It can often be found in areas where food is scarce and there is poor health among children.
But rather than being the cause of this, researchers suggest it can be beneficial to these people.
So
while the United Nations states that polygyny contravenes a woman's
right to equality with men and that such marriages ought to be
discouraged and prohibited, the study found this a depended on local
factors.
They
suggest that in some settings, prohibiting polygyny could be
disadvantageous to women by restricting their marriage options.
'The
issue is not the number of partners,' Professor Borgerhoff Mulder said.
'Women should be assured the autonomy to make the decisions they want'
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