2 Ways That Men Love Differently Than Women

"This was the first study of its kind to investigate gender differences in romantic love, using validated measures among people currently in love. This contrasts with most studies, which mostly rely on retrospective recall. Among other things, one of the most striking discoveries the researchers made was that male participants tended to fall in love about one month earlier than women, on average. Women, however, were also more likely to experience romantic love slightly more intensely, as well as to think about their loved ones more."

"When it comes to love, women are often purported to be the romantics: they feel deeply, invest early, and sustain the emotional heartbeat of a relationship. Men, by contrast, are presented as more stoic and less infatuated. They're guarded, slower to open up, and, by extension, even quicker to check out. This is a story that we've all heard countless times, yet according to a growing body of peer-reviewed research, it's largely wrong."

"Beyond just challenging hegemonic stereotypes, these findings also offer us a much clearer map of how men and women fall in love differently. Here's a breakdown of the differences the studies found, as well as what those differences mean in practice for a romantic relationship."

"The researchers offered an evolutionary explanation for these findings. More specifically, they suggest that an increased frequency of falling in love, as well as earlier timing, may have been a means of overcoming the male-specific challenges of courting and demonstrating commitment to wom"

Men and women show different patterns in romantic love. Research using validated measures among people currently in love found that men typically fall in love about one month earlier than women. Women reported romantic love as slightly more intense and reported thinking about their loved ones more often. The findings challenge common stereotypes that portray women as the primary romantics and men as emotionally guarded or less invested. The studies also suggest that earlier and more frequent falling in love may help address male-specific challenges related to courting and demonstrating commitment. Overall, the results provide a more hopeful and accurate map of how romantic love develops across genders.

Read at Psychology Today