Getting romantically involved with people can bring changes to one's personality and behaviour. Relationships often shape our traits in significant ways. But what about those who have always remained single? A study published in Psychological Science aimed to explore the personality differences and life satisfaction levels between lifelong singles and those who have been in relationships.
ALSO READ: No luck with dating? Relationship coach shares tips on how to find the best fish in the sea in 2025 Life satisfaction differences The research team examined data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), a large-scale panel study involving over 77,000 participants. The age range of the participants was from 22 to 105 years. The researchers found that lifelong singles showed lower levels of life satisfaction compared to those who were in relationships.
This was more prominent among individuals who had never been in any relationships. However, the study also highlighted that singles with a good, high income may not experience such low life satisfaction, suggesting that financial stability offers relief. Behavioural differences The study found that lifelong singles are likely to be lower in extraversion and conscientiousness compared to those who have been in relationships.
Extraversion is how outgoing and social someone is, while conscientiousness refers to how organized and responsible they are. These traits were especially noticeable in older singles, wh.
