How do people who live their whole lives alone differ from those who are in relationships

However, society usually considers marriage or long-term relationships to be the "norm". Scientists from different European countries decided to check how "eternal singles" differ from people who have ever lived with a partner or are now in a relationship. Their findings are published in the journal Psychological Science.

The researchers analysed survey data from 77,000 adults over the age of 50 from 27 European countries. For the first time, they took into account people who had never had a serious relationship at all, rather than just comparing the "single" to the "married". The results showed that the single for life participants had lower life satisfaction scores. They also had some peculiarities in personality traits: compared to "coupled" people, they were found to be less extroverted, less open to new experiences and less conscientious.

Scientists emphasise that it is still unclear what exactly causes these differences - innate character traits or the influence of the fact that people "choose" loneliness. For example, people with a more extroverted character more often and easily make relationships, while introverts - less often. On the other hand, if a person does get into a relationship, it's possible that their personality may change a bit over time under the influence of living together.

Another interesting point has to do with cultural norms. In countries where marriage is considered a more traditional and important part of life (e.g. Southern European societies), singles experienced a greater decline in life satisfaction. This difference was smaller in states with more secular or laissez-faire attitudes towards marital status.

The study also found that single women felt slightly happier on average than single men. And among older participants, those well into their 50s, "singles" were more likely to be satisfied with their lives than middle-aged people with the same status. Presumably, as they age, they are better able to accept situations and face less social pressure.

The authors emphasise the importance of social support for older people living alone: without a regular partner, they may find it more difficult to deal with financial, medical and domestic issues, especially when their health deteriorates. Researchers call for the development of special programmes to help such people find a social circle and get the help they need.

Source: Julia Stern et al, Psychological Science (2024). DOI: 10.1177/09567976241286865