Research suggests that non-unique people are as happy in their love life as those with only one partner, but are less “significantly” sexually satisfied than traditional couples.
Polyamory, open relationships, swings are non-specific, based on many forms of consensus. Polyamory has become increasingly mainstream, with recent polls showing that one in 25 people have experienced it. moreover 1/14 They said they were open to exploring it.
And the authors of the new study stated that their findings challenged what they called a common “all-size approach to relationships,” indicating that satisfaction was not closely related to monogamy.
“Our findings show that non-unique individuals experience equal relationships and sexual satisfaction with monogamous actors, challenging the myth that monogamy is inherently superior,” says Dr. Joel Anderson, the first author of the Latove University study.
“Monogamy works well for many people, while others find connections, fulfillment, and happiness through unfamous relationships.”
Written in Journal of Sex Researchthe team found that some studies found relationship satisfaction was greater than non-exclusive relationships in monogamous relationships, while others found the opposite to true, with most not finding any difference at all.
“Overall effect estimates showed no significant differences in relationship satisfaction among non-exclusive individuals compared to monogamous individuals,” the team concluded, adding that the results retained both heterosexual and LGBTQ+ participants.
The team then found similar results when they looked at studies examining sexual satisfaction.
While some studies suggested that polyamory and swings are associated with increased sexual satisfaction, the analysis revealed that there is no overall difference between the relationships between unfamous and monogamous.
The team analyzed data from 35 studies involving more than 24,000 participants from 2007 to 2024. Most of it took place in North America, Australia, or parts of Europe.
All participants were in a relationship, and depending on the study, they ranged from 4.0% to 69.9% in the non-exclusive setup. This study did not consider serial monogamy or issues.
This study has limitations, including that many studies did not consider the type of non-exclusive relationship. Participants were often recruited via social networks. In other words, it was not necessarily representative of the entire population. And research relies on self-report, which may be biased.
Anderson also said that some countries and cultures not represented in the analysis could have unrealistic and different perspectives.
However, his work stated that relationship satisfaction was not about their structure, but suggested how people communicated, connected, and met each other's needs.
He added: “This emphasizes the need to create space socially, culturally and professionally for the full scope of relationship possibilities, beyond monotonous assumptions about relationships and families.
“Everyone benefits when they are supported to build the kind of relationships that people work for them.”
