Why Do People Cheat? Their Reasons Are Often Counterintuitive

April 27, 2023 by Emily Mendelson

Ashley Madison is an infamous online dating service advertised as a means of facilitating extra-marital affairs. It has been the subject of significant media and scientific attention due to the unique nature of the site and the 2015 data breach and subsequent leak that exposed the personal information of customers. Most research pertaining to Ashley Madison has focused on...

See Post
Why Do People Cheat? Their Reasons Are Often Counterintuitive
Speaking Your Partner’s “Love Language” Might Give Your Sex Life a Boost
Speaking Your Partner’s “Love Language” Might Give Your Sex Life a Boost

February 15, 2023 by Emily Mendelson

The five “love languages”—words of affirmation, acts of service, gift giving, quality time, and physical touch—are meant to help individuals identify how they prefer to both give and receive love....

Dating & Relationships, Sex Tips
Why is “Holiday Sex” so Popular?
Why is “Holiday Sex” so Popular?

December 14, 2022 by Emily Mendelson

What’s the most popular day of the year to conceive a child? According to the data, it’s Christmas Eve (at least in the United States). The third most popular? New Year’s Eve....

Dating & Relationships
Gen Z is Missing Out on the Benefits of Sex
Gen Z is Missing Out on the Benefits of Sex

September 21, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller

Generally speaking, sexual activity is good for our mental health. Sex (however you like to do it) has the potential to enhance our psychological well-being, as well as the connection...

Dating & Relationships, Media & Culture, Sex Tips
Tips For ‘Cheat-Proofing’ Your Relationship
Tips For ‘Cheat-Proofing’ Your Relationship

July 18, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller

Most people say that their ideal relationship would be monogamous. Despite this, however, a lot of people seem to have a really hard time maintaining monogamy. So if monogamy is...

Dating & Relationships, Psychology
The Truth About the 5 Love Languages, and How to Show Love
The Truth About the 5 Love Languages, and How to Show Love

July 11, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller

The “love language” concept has become increasingly popular as a way of explaining differences in how people prefer to show and receive love. However, despite its enormous popularity, there still...

Dating & Relationships, Psychology
The 7 Biggest Relationship Dealbreakers
The 7 Biggest Relationship Dealbreakers

March 9, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller

Decades of psychological research on attraction has revealed which traits people tend to desire in a romantic partner. Intelligence, honesty, and sense of humor pretty reliably come in toward the...

Dating & Relationships
The Relationship Status of LGBTQ Americans
The Relationship Status of LGBTQ Americans

February 28, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller

Same-sex marriage has been legal throughout the United States since 2015. So what percentage of the LGBT population is currently married now that marriage is no longer restricted based on...

Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
How Would You Feel If Someone Said “I Love You” On The First Date?
How Would You Feel If Someone Said “I Love You” On The First Date?

February 14, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller

A lot of people seem to believe in the idea of “love at first sight.” For example, in studies of people who are currently in relationships, as many as 1...

Dating & Relationships, Gender
Falling in Love with a Friend is More Common Than You Think
Falling in Love with a Friend is More Common Than You Think

February 7, 2022 by Katie Adams

In the famous movie When Harry Met Sally, there’s a scene where Harry claims that “men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.”...

Dating & Relationships
Who is Hookup Culture Helping, and Who is It Hurting?
Who is Hookup Culture Helping, and Who is It Hurting?

November 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller

College hookup culture serves the interests of some, but not others. So who is it helping, and who is it hurting? To explore this question, I interviewed Dr. Lisa Wade...

Dating & Relationships, Psychology
Is Infidelity Predictable?
Is Infidelity Predictable?

November 3, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller

Infidelity is common. Saying exactly how many people have ever cheated is a little dicey, though, because the numbers vary a lot depending on how you ask the question (e.g.,...

Dating & Relationships
How Many People Subscribe to the “Three-Date Rule?”
How Many People Subscribe to the “Three-Date Rule?”

October 25, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller

How many in-person dates would you want to have with a new partner before having sex with that person? We often hear about the so-called “three-date rule,” or the idea...

Dating & Relationships
Why is Modern Marriage So Hard?
Why is Modern Marriage So Hard?

October 6, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller

Is marriage harder now than it was in the past? Are we expecting too much from our spouses today? I recently interviewed Dr. Eli Finkel for the Sex and Psychology...

Dating & Relationships, Psychology
What To Do When You And Your Partner Want Different Amounts Of Sex
What To Do When You And Your Partner Want Different Amounts Of Sex

September 20, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller

In long-term relationships, partners’ sex drives are bound to get out of sync from time to time. That’s normal and not a cause for concern unless it becomes a persistent...

Dating & Relationships, Sex Tips
What I Learned From a Decade of Studying Friends With Benefits
What I Learned From a Decade of Studying Friends With Benefits

August 25, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller

The very first sex study that I ever published appeared in the Journal of Sex Research in 2011, and it explored similarities and differences in how men and women approach friends with...

Dating & Relationships, Gender

Want More Recos?

Get my favorite book recommendations, sex talk, exclusive offers and more delivered directly to your inbox.