Dating

Does Cupid play politics? That ‘something special’ might be your mate’s political ideology

This is really interesting; for years psychologists have cited research which suggests that people like to date others who are similar to themselves (assuming that physical attractiveness and personality are the most important characteristics of similarity). This research suggests that similarity political beliefs are more important. Considering how a person’s politics often reflect their values (whether conservative or progressive), it makes sense that we look for people who vote like us. Read the post at Science Daily:

Though “variety is the spice of life” and “opposites attract,” most people marry only those whose political views align with their own, according to new research. Political scientists found that political attitudes were among the strongest shared traits and even stronger than qualities like personality or looks.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!

Friends with Benefits: Are They as Complicated in Real Life as They are in the Movies?

Check out this great article about “friends with benefits” relationships from Science of Relationships:

The term “friends with benefits” (FWB) has become part of our vernacular in recent years and public interest in the topic appears to be surging. For example, this year alone brings two major motion pictures devoted exclusively to the subject, No Strings Attached (starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman) and this summer’s Friends with Benefits (starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake). The concept has also been popularized by the ongoing FWB arrangement between Vinny and Snooki on the Jersey Shore (see here for more on the Vinny/Snooki saga).

One thing all of these media portrayals have in common is that they depict FWB relationships as complicated. Inevitably, somebody seems to get jealous and drama ensues. So does that match up with reality? Are these relationships really that difficult to manage?

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit Science of Relationships!