While wedding vows often involve two people pledging their love to each other, “for richer or for poorer,” new research suggests it’s the former that actually carries some weight –– at least initially. Dual studies conducted at the University of Toronto and Carleton University found that single individuals with higher incomes are more likely to desire a romantic relationship and, ultimately, form a partnership.
More specifically, in their paper entitled “Making (Enough for) Love: The Association of Income and Relationship Readiness,” psychologists Geoff MacDonald and Johanna Peetz argue that “The financial well-being of young adults is linked with romantic desire, perceived readiness for relationships, and actual transitioning into intimate partnerships.”
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The combined study, which compiled data on more than 4,800 single people in the U.S. and Germany, was published July 2 in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
The researchers noted that established gender norms suggest men would be more concerned with income prior to pairing up. However, MacDonald and Peetz concluded that “No significant gender differences emerged for the link between income and relationship attitudes in either study.”
According to MacDonald, concerns about entering into a relationship without economic security are not bound by gender, but rather speak to larger global issues.
“I think that young people are making rational calculations in unstable economic conditions,” said MacDonald. “I think people get that they are not going to be able to enjoy a relationship if they are working 80 hours a week, or if they’re not sure where they’re going to live next year.”
Aside from income relative to relationship readiness, MacDonald and Peetz also wanted to know if participants were more content with being single, provided their income was high. The answer? Not so much.
The researchers pointed to prevailing wisdom, which holds “freedom and autonomy as perhaps the pinnacle benefit of singlehood.” However, while freedom and autonomy generally grow with increased income, the data “suggested a largely null relation between income and satisfaction with singlehood.”
According to Michael Pereira of phys.org, MacDonald suggested this could be due to a “stage of life theory.”
“A good income may help pay for an enhanced single experience,” Pereira writes, “but it may also signal a transition to a phase where having a partner feels necessary for fulfillment.”
So, what can be done with this information? Well, MacDonald and Peetz believe their research can be used to inform policy and legislation.
For instance, the researchers write, “Societies that provide a stable financial base such as a social safety net, unemployment funding, and education grants might be more likely to facilitate romantic relationships among their citizens.”
That, in turn, could lead to higher rates of pregnancy, thus reversing the tide of aging populations and declining birth rates worldwide.
Additionally, MacDonald and Peetz believe their study can be used by psychologists when assessing their clients.
“The findings are also a reminder to psychologists that as much as psychological variables such as personality play important roles in key life events, we must also maintain focus on the material conditions in which people find themselves,” the researchers write, adding, “In this case, our data suggest that romantic desire may be subordinate to basic financial security.”
