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According to a study, the romantic choices of young women probably have to do with the father they had during their construction. Which is not always good news.
Do women choose their partner based on the dad they had? A study carried out in 2019 confirms this. And this one has nothing to do with whether or not step-daddy likes his son-in-law. The reality is unfortunately a little more pessimistic.
A “poor quality” father pushes daughters into bad relationships
Five years ago, a team from Pennsylvania State University analyzed the impact of fathers’ behavior on the development of their daughters, and more particularly on their romantic choices. The study was thus based on more than 200 pairs of sisters recruited. The duos had to be born at least 4 years apart, and be the result of a divorce, where the father had left before the youngest daughter was 14 years old. The team was thus able to analyze the impact of paternal behavior and parental absence on the development of girls.
Did the study bear fruit? Yes. Researchers found that older sisters who had been exposed to fathers “poor quality” (especially those who were violent or suffered from mental illnesses or addictions) had lower expectations of their male partners. These same sisters were likely to have less fulfilling partners and relationships.
Comparisons of maternal behaviors, however, revealed no correlation between pairs of sisters, nor did the number of years of absence of the father in the lives of the younger siblings.
A harmful repetitive pattern, but one that can be broken
More than the maternal figure, the fatherly figure therefore marks young girls and young women in their choice of partner. His way of being within the home, with his wife, with the children, would provide a model of human relationships to which young women would cling for a long time. Having a loving, respectful, even feminist father is therefore a good basis for finding the perfect lover.
But if the father is neglectful, cold, or even violent, it is possible that young women will despite themselves seek a partner who has the same characteristics. This seems particularly true in cases of violence. The dad we had can therefore include us in a repetitive pattern. Knowledge is a good thing today. Because psychologists know: identifying the problem also means taking the first step to break this negative cycle once and for all. And why not find the opposite of his father.
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