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Adult individuals frequently face difficulties in attracting and keeping mates, which is an important driver of singlehood. In the current research, we investigated the mating performance (i.e., how well people do in attracting and retaining intimate partners) and singlehood status in 14 different countries, namely Austria, Brazil, China, Greece, H...
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The subject of the study is the impact of the development of information and communication technologies, the digitalization of social space on the culture of social participation of young people in post-communist countries (Poland, Armenia and the Russian Federation). The central concept of the implemented research is that today's youth, who have a...
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... Not having an intimate partner constitutes a common state in contemporary post-industrial societies (Apostolou et al., 2023;Kislev, 2019;Klinenberg, 2012), with evidence indicating that being single versus being in an intimate relationship is consequential for one's emotional wellbeing Girme et al., 2016). Nevertheless, being in a poor-quality intimate relationship can also lead to negative emotions and physical harm (Buss, 2021;Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001;Lemay et al., 2012). ...
... In the Chinese sample, around 30% of participants indicated that they were voluntarily single, 22% were involuntarily single, and approximately 9% were between relationships single. In a more recent study with a sample of 7181 participants from 14 post-industrial nations, approximately 13% reported being involuntarily single, over 15% indicated being voluntarily single, and 10% were between relationships single (Apostolou et al., 2023). ...
The increasing occurrence of singlehood raises the question of whether people enjoy greater emotional wellbeing alone or in an intimate relationship. Guided by an evolutionary theoretical framework of human emotions, the current research aimed to address whether individuals are emotionally better off single than in an intimate relationship, taking a cross-cultural perspective. The quality of the relationship is also crucial; thus, the study also aimed to determine whether individuals in a good or bad intimate relationship differ from each other and from those who are single in terms of emotional wellbeing. In a sample of 6338 participants from 12 nations, we found that singles experienced lower emotional wellbeing and life satisfaction than those in relationships. More specifically, participants who were in a relationship or married reported the highest life satisfaction and emotional wellbeing, while those involuntarily single reported the lowest levels, with individuals who are between relationships or voluntarily single reporting intermediate levels. Additionally, participants in a good relationship experienced higher emotional wellbeing and life satisfaction than those in a bad relationship. The findings among the involuntarily single participants were similarly negative, but to a lesser extent than those in a bad relationship. These results were consistent across the different nations in our sample.
... time to find another mate (between relationships singles) 6 . A cross-cultural study employed a sample of 7,181 participants from 14 different post-industrial nations and found that about 13% of the participants indicated that they were involuntarily single, more than 15% indicated that they were voluntarily single, and 10% were between-relationships single 9 . It has also found that all types of singlehood were more prevalent in younger age groups, with variation in prevalence across different cultures. ...
The present study aimed to examine the associations between the desire for independence, perceived level of achievement, and relationship status. Specifically, we conducted the study with a sample of 667 Greek-speaking participants (389 women, 275 men, and three participants who did not indicate their sex) who were either single or in an intimate relationship. We employed close-ended questionnaires that included instruments developed using AI. We found that men and women who desired more independence were more likely to be voluntarily single than in an intimate relationship. Additionally, a higher desire for independence was associated with more years being single, but this effect was significant only for men. Furthermore, we found that the perceived level of achievement was not significantly associated with relationship status directly; however, higher scores in this dimension were associated with fewer years spent as single for men. Moreover, a higher perceived level of achievement was associated with a decreased probability of being involuntarily single rather than in an intimate relationship and fewer years spent as single indirectly, by being associated with higher self-esteem, which was associated with higher flirting capacity. These paths were significant for both men and women. Our findings suggest that the desire for independence and perceived achievement play an important role in explaining why some people are single and others in an intimate relationship.
... Unsatisfied mating performance seems to play a key role in the risk of developing incel ideology. Apostolou and colleagues found that in a cross-cultural database of more than 7,000 men from 14 different countries, the 13% define itself as "involuntary single" [24]. Another aspect of the incel's personality is the feeling of being victimized by society and women who deny them the right to have sex [13]. ...
Background. The term “incel” (involuntary celibate) refers to the members of an online subculture, mainly composed of heterosexual men. These individuals find it difficult or impossible to have a romantic and/or sexual partner, and they express extreme anger and resentment toward women, as they hold them accountable for their “inceldom.” In recent years, online and offline acts of violence have been perpetrated by incels, raising concern at social and political levels. This study aims to understand the personal, psychological, and psychopathological variables that may contribute to developing incel traits. Materials and Methods. A total of 800 Italian heterosexual cisgender men were recruited by a link to the survey forwarded on social networks. Participants have completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and a set of psychometric tests to assess incels’ personality traits, attachment patterns, paranoia, anxiety, and depression. Results. Positive correlations among incel personality traits and psychopathological symptoms and insecure attachment were found. Hierarchical regression analysis showed the significant role of paranoid thinking, insecure attachment, depression, and anxiety symptoms in the presence of incels’ personality traits. Conclusion. Therefore, the assessment of these psychopathological aspects could help clinicians, parents, and teachers to early identify young males that can be caught in the inceldom and to develop specific intervention programs to prevent violence.
... Women too seem suboptimally evolved for long-term markets. Apostolou et al. (2023) found that 57% of men and women have difficulties in starting and/or keeping a relationship. In short-term markets, many men struggle to attract women. ...
Modern mating markets relegate a growing number of men to being incels (involuntary celibate). Increasing attention befalls another group struggling in the same markets: female insings (involuntary single). In the partly autobiographical novel, Half of Malmö Consists of Guys Who Dumped Me (2021), Amanda Romare dramatizes how urban dating and technologies like Tinder exploit women’s evolved mate preferences in a manner that drives addiction and dysfunction. Many women have practically unlimited access to serial dating and short-term sex with highly attractive men, but such experiences can leave women less able to calibrate their mating strategies, thus making it harder to acquire a long-term partner. Romare argues that incels get too much attention, as our culture blinds us to the plight of lonely women. To investigate the insing phenomenon, we apply sexual strategies theory, sexual conflict theory, and other frameworks from evolutionary psychology. Mismatch, conflicting desires, and exploitative technologies make many women prioritize mate qualities that misalign with their pair-bonding ambitions. Juxtaposing Romare’s novel with the TV series Sigurd Can’t Get Laid (2020–2022) aids us in comparing insings to incels. Our analysis illustrates how both groups fall victim to our evolved mate preferences. Communities that develop a better understanding of these preferences could improve intersexual communication, which might help them find more productive ways to mate.
... However, such abundance has its own difficulties. Thus, Menelaos Apostolou et al. (2023) argue that more than fifty percent of people are facing difficulties in starting and/or keeping a relationship. One major reason is the predominant feeling of experiencing "too much of a good thing"; another is that traditional mating skills humans are accustomed to may not work in the digital environment. ...
... One major reason is the predominant feeling of experiencing "too much of a good thing"; another is that traditional mating skills humans are accustomed to may not work in the digital environment. Such deficits in mating performance relate to singlehood, specifically being involuntarily single (Apostolou et al., 2023). ...
... Although more theoretical and empirical work is needed in this area, there are compelling reasons to believe that the mismatch problem has affected mating performance, with many individuals experiencing difficulties in maintaining intimate relationships. Supporting this prediction, a crosscultural study involving 7181 participants from 14 nations found that 57% indicated that they faced difficulties in starting and/or keeping a relationship (Apostolou et al., 2023). As discussed above, poor mating performance can result in negative experiences within intimate relationships, including conflicts, infidelity, violence, jealousy, and subsequent negative emotions. ...
Not having an intimate partner is a common state in contemporary post-industrial societies. One reason that individuals report for being single is their fear of relationship commitment. The objective of the current research was to investigate the factors that are associated with the fear of relationship commitment and how this fear is associated with singlehood. In a sample of 453 Turkish-speaking participants, we found that lower levels of agreeableness, openness, mating performance, and relationship quality were associated with a higher fear of relationship commitment. Moreover, a higher fear of relationship commitment was linked to a greater likelihood of being single compared to being in an intimate relationship. Additionally, we found that lower levels of self-esteem, extraversion, and openness were associated with reduced mating performance, which, in turn, was associated with a higher fear of relationship commitment and a higher probability of being single compared to being in an intimate relationship.
... In cross-cultural data from 14 countries, 25% of participants showed poor mating performance, with 13% being involuntarily single (Apostolou, Sullman, et al., 2023). Given the predominantly online nature of the incel community, of note is an analysis of the internet site Reddit, finding that the most frequent reasons that men indicated for being single included poor flirting skills, low self-confidence, poor looks, shyness, low effort, and bad experience from previous relationships (Apostolou, 2019). ...
Mating represents a suite of fundamental adaptive problems for humans. Yet a community of men, called incels (involuntary celibates), forge their identity around their perceived inability to solve these problems. Many incels engage in misogynistic online hostility, and there are concerns about violence stemming from the community. Despite significant media speculation about the potential mating psychology of incels, this has yet to be formally investigated in the scientific literature. In the first formal investigation of incel mating psychology, we compared a sample (n = 151) of self-identified male incels with non-incel single males (n = 149). Findings revealed that incels have a lower sense of self-perceived mate-value and a greater external locus of control regarding their singlehood. Contrary to mainstream media narratives, incels also reported lower minimum standards for mate preferences than non-incels. Incels (and non-incel single men) significantly overestimated the importance of physical attractiveness and financial prospects to women, and underestimated the importance of intelligence, kindness, and humor. Furthermore, incels underestimated women's overall minimum mate preference standards. Our findings suggest that incels should be targeted for interventions to challenge cognitive distortions around female mate preferences. Implications for incels' mental health and misogynistic attitudes are discussed, as well as directions for future research. "Women seem wicked when you're unwanted."-Jim Morrison (The Doors)
... People are born single, and especially in contemporary postindustrial societies, many spend a considerable part of their adult lives without having an intimate partner (Klinenberg, 2012;Ortiz-Ospina, 2019;Wang & Parker, 2014). For instance, one recent study employed a sample of 7181 participants from 14 different post-industrial countries, and found that nearly 40 % of the participants indicated that they were single (Apostolou et al., 2023). Similarly, adults in the USA under 30 were the most likely age group to be single, with 47 % falling into this category (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2023/02/08/for-va ...
... The above theoretical framework predicts that the different types of singlehood would be relatively frequent, which appears to be the case. The cross-cultural study discussed previously found that about 13 % of the participants indicated that they were involuntarily single, >15 % indicated that they were voluntarily single, and 10 % were betweenrelationships single (Apostolou et al., 2023). The evolutionary theoretical framework suggests further that singlehood would be associated with important advantages as well as with substantial disadvantages. ...
Singlehood has advantages but also disadvantages that the current research aimed to examine. More specifically, Study 1 employed qualitative research methods on a sample of 238 Greek-speaking participants, and identified 78 possible disadvantages of being single. Studies 2 and 3 employed quantitative research methods on a sample of 1115 (N Study 1 = 592, N Study 2 = 523) Greek-speaking participants, and classified these disadvantages into 10 distinct categories. Participants rated the "Lack of regular and safe sex," the "Lack of tenderness and love," and the "Lack of someone to motivate me to improve myself" to be the most important disadvantages of singlehood. Other important disadvantages included, the "Lack of support," the "Negative emotions," and the "Not having someone to do things together." Moreover, we found that female participants rated the lack of support to be a more important disadvantage than male participants. We also found that, participants who had stronger social support, discounted the disadvantages of singlehood more than participants who had weaker social support. Additionally, participants who considered singlehood as more costly, exercised more mating effort than participants who considered it less costly.
Scholars are at the beginning stages of understanding the trajectory of incels' deradicalization process. This study aimed to gain insight into the trajectories of individuals who have left or expressed a desire to leave inceldom, by focussing on the turning points that propel incels to deradicalize from the misogynistic ideology associated with inceldom. To achieve this, 28 threads related to the process of exiting inceldom were extracted from r/IncelExit, a subreddit which caters to incels seeking support and guidance in said process. A reflexive thematic analysis allowed for the identification of three distinct stages in the process of exiting inceldom: 1) pursuing dating, 2) attempting to change ideology, and 3) struggling to leave the incel ideology. Our findings show that, initially, the prospect of entering a romantic relationship was perceived as the primary means of leaving inceldom. However, after experiencing a few attempts at dating, a turning point was reached when individuals recognized the importance of changing their ideology. This stemmed from the realization that the incels' ideology had a detrimental impact on their overall well-being. Consequently, they turned to their peers on the subreddit for strategies for ideological transformation. Various courses of action were proposed, with particular emphasis on the importance of addressing fundamental needs through self-care practices. Simultaneously, participants reported a range of challenges encountered during the process of leaving inceldom. These findings underscore the requirement for interventions adapted to this clientele's needs to accompany them through their deradicalization journey. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Many individuals are single because they encounter difficulties in attracting an intimate partner. Various factors, such as flirting capacity and self-esteem, could potentially predict singlehood. However, these factors are interconnected and have indirect associations with singlehood. The current study has attempted to identify these associations by analyzing a database derived from a sample of 1,432 Greek-speaking participants. Our analysis examined singlehood in general as well as involuntary singlehood, separately for men and women. Specifically, we have identified four pathways for women: 1) Higher mate value was associated with greater self-esteem, which, in turn, was associated with an increased flirting capacity. This was correlated with a higher probability of being in an intimate relationship rather than being single. 2) Furthermore, higher mate value was associated with increased self-esteem, which, in turn, was associated with greater choosiness. This was linked to a lower probability of being in an intimate relationship than being involuntarily single. 3) Additionally, higher scores in self-perceived good looks were associated with higher mate value, which, in turn, was associated with an enhanced flirting capacity. This was connected to a higher probability of being in an intimate relationship rather than being single. 4) Finally, higher scores in self-perceived good looks were associated with higher mate value, which, in turn, was associated with greater choosiness. This was associated with a lower probability of being in an intimate relationship than being single. On the other hand, no significant pathways were found for men.