Growing up, I saw a lot of negative portrayals of “cat ladies” and “spinsters.” But as I’ve gotten older, I don’t know anyone happier than single, adult women.
Now, science has my back.
A new paper published in Social Psychological and Personality Science titled “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves”: Gender Differences in Singles’ Well-Being said, “single women, on average, report higher levels of satisfaction with relationship status, life satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and lower desire for a partner [than single men].”
They add, “Overall, these findings suggest that women are, on average, happier in singlehood than men.”
How do we know?
The researchers looked at data from almost 6,000 single people across 10 surveys. It was more or less 50/50 men and women, with 29 non-binary participants.
The average age was 32, and all were above 18.
Participants were quizzed on things like their relationship status satisfaction (how happy or unhappy they were being single), life satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and desire for a partner.
Across all metrics, single women rated their happiness higher than single men.
To be fair, it seems women, including those in relationships, are generally more satisfied than men across most metrics.
But they aren’t happier with their relationship status than men when they’re in a relationship, and they’re far happier with their status when single than single men are.
It seems being single is more bothersome to men than it is to women. “Our findings appear to run counter to existing stereotypes regarding women as the uniquely unhappy gender in singlehood,” the researchers write.
Why?
The study didn’t seek to find a cause, but the authors had some theories.
“One potential reason is that women have stronger social support beyond romantic relationships,” the paper reads.
Then, there’s the good ol’ patriarchy to consider in heterosexual relationships.
“Inequities within heterosexual relationships, including inequitable divisions of household labor and the deprioritisation of women’s sexual pleasure, lead to more rewards for men and more costs for women in committed heterosexual partnerships,” the paper reads.
“One traditional advantage for women in partnering with men — income — is dissipating as societies trend toward increasing pay equity… and it appears possible that men’s lower relationship status satisfaction when single may be an accurate recognition that they have more to gain from partnering than do single women,” the study continues.
