‘Open Relationships are Just as Satisfying as Monogamous Relationships’

A new study from the University of Guelph has shown that people in open relationships are just as happy as people in monogamous relationships. The researchers conducted research among 140 people in non-monogamous relationships and 206 people in a monogamous relationship. The results were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Participants were asked about their satisfaction with their current relationships. For non-monogamous situations, the questions pertained to the respondent’s primary partner. For example, the researchers asked how often participants considered divorce, whether they trusted their partner, and their overall level of happiness.

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Same experiences

The researchers found that people in non-monogamous relationships were as satisfied with the relationship they have with their main partner as those in monogamous relationships. People in non-monogamous relationships experience the same levels of relationship satisfaction, psychological well-being and sexual satisfaction as those in monogamous relationships. Jessica Wood, a doctoral student in applied social psychology and lead author of the study, says of the research that “it debunks societal views of monogamy as the ideal relationship structure.”

Non-monogamous relationships still have a stigma, with people in these relationships being looked at strangely and judged. “They are seen as immoral and less satisfying, it is assumed that people in these types of relationships have sex with everyone all the time. They are seen as bad people in a bad relationship, but that is not the case,” Wood said.

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Sex as a yardstick

As long as couples have sex to be close to each other or to fulfill their desires, there is no difference in how happy they are with their partner. Those who have sex with their partner for less personal reasons, such as avoiding arguments, are less likely to be happy in their relationships, regardless of whether it is an open or monogamous relationship . This research shows that the choice of a relationship type is not an indication of how happy or satisfied you are with your relationship.

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