subject: How Do We Relate To Relationships? [print this page] Women who eat with men eat lessWomen who eat with men eat less. Psychologically, that's not surprising. However, men who eat with men also eat less. Even after multiple factors were correlated with how much people ate, a study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology found when women ate with women, they ordered an average of 833 calories. When they were with men, the average was 721. When men ate with women, they ordered an average of 1162 calories. When they were with men the average was 952. It seems both genders react to an unconscious script when eating with men. It's some sort of "men-tal reservation".
People pick friends that are just like them. According to a study published in the journal Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, the more choices you have, the likelier you are to pick friends with your beliefs. Friends at a large university, as well as at several rural colleges, were asked questions about politics, moral beliefs, prejudices and health-related activities. On larger campuses friends tended to share the same beliefs. On smaller campuses friendships were more diverse and friends rated their friendships as closer. It seems "Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends" - that's according to Shirley MacLaine.
Women prefer men with deep voices. In a study published in the journal Memory & Cognition, women were shown various objects while hearing the objects' names spoken by both high-pitched and low-pitched voices. Not only were the women much likelier to recall objects correctly when the objects were introduced by deep voices, but they also expressed a strong preference for those voices. It seems deep voices are likelier to be associated with emotional warmth and other highly desirable traits. Of course, if a woman had to choose between 2 men with low-pitched voices, it would be a "pitched battle".
Americans are more monogamous. A study published in the journal Family Process included 6,864 people. Responses from 6,082 were from 1975 and the rest from 2000. The percentage of married/straight men having affairs dropped from 28% in 1975 to 10% in 2000. For married/straight women the percentage dropped from 23% to 14%. Among gays and lesbians (in civil unions or committed relationships) the percentage dropped from 83% to 59% and from 28% to 8% respectively. It seems the increase in monogamy can be attributed to fear of sexually transmitted diseases. Obviously, "in sickness and in health" doesn't cover everything.
