Wife vs. mistress: Who do men spend more money on? The study results will surprise you
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It's a popular belief that men spend a lot more on gifts for their mistresses than they do for their wives. However, a recent study led by Olivia James, graduate student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Keelah Williams, associate professor of psychology at Hamilton College challenges this notion.
The study authors got particularly interested in investigating this topic after hearing a wildlife biologist speak about the gifting patterns of fairy wrens, a bird endemic to Australia. These birds have similar relationship patterns like that of human beings – monogamous and extrapair relationships. It was observed that when it came to extrapair relationships, a male fairy wren would gift a flower petal to the female to express their interest, while that behaviour was absent in their monogamous relationships.
Findings of the study:
To understand the gift-giving patterns, the study was conducted on participants where they were asked about their spending patterns in their monogamous relationships and extrapair relationships. They were also asked to recall how they received gifts from their partners. They were also asked questions to find if men spent more money on gifts than women in a relationship.
The results of the study indicated that contrary to popular belief, people spend more money on sustaining long-term relationships than maintaining extra-marital affairs. In a committed partnership, gift-giving can also serve many purposes, such as bond-building and reinforcing the connection.
Also, it is generally believed that men spend more on buying gifts in a relationship than women. However, the results of the study busted that myth, pointing out that men and women both spend equally in a relationship to sustain it. It is believed that gift-giving is a practice of promoting a long-lasting relationship. Extra-marital affairs lack the element of a long-term setup; hence, people feel reluctant to spend their resources and contribute to it much.
