In today’s world, there are more opportunities to find new romantic partners than ever before. However, most of us manage to remain faithful. It turns out that it is not only about morality and principles. The brain protects us from betrayal.
If we are in a relationship that suits us, the brain makes it easier for us by reducing the attractiveness of other potential partners in our eyes. This is the conclusion reached by the social psychologist Shana Cole (Shana Cole) and her colleagues from New York University.1. They explored the psychological mechanisms that help to be faithful to a partner.
In previous studies of this kind, participants were directly asked how attractive they find other potential partners, so it is possible that their answers to such a “sensitive” topic could be insincere.
In the new study, the researchers decided to do things differently and not pose the question directly.
131 students took part in the main experiment. Participants were shown pictures of potential lab partners (of the opposite sex) and given brief information about them—in particular, whether they were in a relationship or single. The students were then given several photographs of the same classmate and asked to choose the one most similar to the first photograph. What the students did not know was that the second set of photographs had been computer-edited in such a way that in some of them the person looked more attractive than he really was, and in others, less attractive.
Participants underestimated the attractiveness of new potential partners if they were satisfied with their own relationship.
Students who were in a relationship rated the attractiveness of new potential partners below the real level. They considered the real photo to be similar to the «degraded» photos.
When the subject and the person in the photo were not in a relationship, the attractiveness of the person in the photo was rated higher than the real photo (the real photo was considered similar to the «improved»).
114 students participated in the second similar experiment. The authors of the study also found that participants underestimate the attractiveness of new potential partners only if they are satisfied with their own relationship. Those who were not very happy with their relationship with their current partner reacted in much the same way as the students who were not in a relationship.
What do these results mean? The authors believe that if we are already in a permanent relationship with which we are satisfied, our brain helps to remain faithful, protecting us from temptations — people of the opposite sex (free and potentially available) seem to us less attractive than they really are.
1 S. Cole et al. «In the Eye of the Betrothed: Perceptual Downgrading of Attractive Alternative Romantic Partners», Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, July 2016, vol. 42, № 7.