(OPINION) So much for monogamy. A new study by researchers from Swansea University in the United Kingdom reveals that a third of men and one in 10 women are open to having more than one romantic partner — at the same time!
The study, which involved 393 heterosexual men and women, uncovered varying levels of “openness” to these arrangements. Approximately 33 percent of men surveyed in the U.K. expressed a willingness to consider the idea of having more than one wife or long-term girlfriend in a committed partnership if it were legal and consensual.
In contrast, only 11 percent of women indicated a similar openness to the concept of polygamous marriage. The research explored individuals’ perceptions of committed partnerships in which they either shared their partner with others or shared themselves.
The team examined two specific relationship models: polygyny, where a man has multiple wives, and polyandry, where a woman has multiple husbands. The study revealed that nine percent of men surveyed were willing to share a partner, while only five percent of women expressed interest in such an arrangement.
“Comparing polygyny and polyandry directly, men were three-and-a-half times more likely to say ‘yes’ to the former than the latter, while women were twice as likely to say ‘yes’ to having more than one partner, compared to the idea of sharing their partner with someone else,” says study lead author Dr. Andrew Thomas in a university release.
Polygyny and polyandry are alternative forms of marriage that involve multiple spouses, and their acceptance varies across cultures. In the United Kingdom, these practices are not legally recognized or widely accepted within mainstream culture, which is based on monogamy.
“Committed non-monogamy has received a lot of attention recently. It’s a hot trend with more and more couples talking about opening up their relationships to include other people,” says Dr. Thomas. “However, these types of relationships are far from new.”
