Happy wife, happy life! Men let their partners win in competitions to maintain a happy marriage, study finds
- Women concentrate harder when competing against strangers than against their partner
- Nevertheless, they are more likely to win when they play against their partner
Whether it’s a game of Jenga or a round of mini golf, many date nights are centered around a competition.
Research has shown that when it comes to these competitions, the old adage of “happy wife, happy life” really rings true.
Scientists from North China University of Science and Technology found that women have a harder time concentrating when competing against strangers than their romantic partner.
Nevertheless, they are more likely to win when they play against their partner.
“Their male partners may adopt a ‘happy wife, happy life’ mentality, avoiding potential relationship conflict by letting their spouse win,” said Shuyu Jia, lead author of the study.
Whether it’s a game of Jenga or a round of mini golf, many date nights are centered around a competition. Now a study has shown that when it comes to these competitions, the old adage of ‘happy wife, happy life’ really does ring true (stock image)
In the study, the team wanted to investigate how romantic relationships influence women’s competitiveness.
“Competition, an essential part of social interaction, is common in everyday life, and the impact of intimate relationships on women’s competition has not yet been revealed,” the team explained in their study, published in Neuroscience.
The researchers recruited 52 female participants, between the ages of 18 and 25, who were instructed to perform a visual cueing task in which they had to compete with a partner to respond to stimuli as quickly as possible.
The participants were divided into two groups, with the first competing against their romantic partner and the second against strangers.
While they competed, the participants had their brain activity monitored via EEG.
The results showed that the women showed higher concentration while competing with strangers of the opposite sex than when competing with their partner.
Scientists found that women have a harder time concentrating when competing against strangers than their romantic partner. Nevertheless, they are more likely to win when they play against their partner. Shown: the percentage of winning trials (PWT) against partners (black) and strangers (gray)
Meanwhile, the women’s focus and willingness to compete decreased when paired with their romantic partner.
Nevertheless, they were more likely to beat their partner.
The researchers say this is an example of ‘partner retention behavior’ in men.
‘Women had a higher win rate when competing with their romantic partners, which may be the result of men adopting spouse retention strategies to maintain their romantic relationships when competing with their romantic partners to avoid the partners leave or are poached by other competitors,” the team added in the study.
The news comes shortly after research found that couples who manage their finances together can love each other longer.
A study found that married couples with a joint bank account not only have better relationships, but also argue less about money and feel better about how household finances are handled.