Who Says “I Love You” First In A Relationship

There are plenty of milestones in romantic relationships and saying “I love you” is one of the biggest. Recent research looks into whether men or women are more likely to say it first and the findings go against gender stereotypes. It turns out, men in heterosexual relationships tend to say “I love you” first.

A global team of researchers worked with more than 3-thousand adults from Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Poland and the U.K. and had them answer questions about their relationships. The results show that in all but one country (France) men were more likely to be the first to admit love.

• On average, men think about confessing love 69 days into a romance, but women don’t consider it until 77 days in.
• While it’s been on their minds for a while, “I love you” typically isn’t said until after 107 days for men and 122 days for women.
• When their partners say those three little words, most people feel happy, but their attachment styles affect their reactions.
• Participants with an “avoidant” attachment style – people who are very independent physically and emotionally and prefer distance in relationships – were less thrilled to be told “I love you.” But those with an “anxious” attachment style – people who are preoccupied with the responsiveness of their partner – were a lot more pleased.

Source: NY Post