New research conducted in the United Kingdom found that multi-partner relationships are generally less desirable than singleness and monogamy. However, the study found that men are six times more likely than women to be open to polygynous relationships, which involve one man with multiple female partners. Among the least desired relationship types was two-timing, where one person has two partners who are unaware of each other. The paper was published in Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Polygamy is a marriage practice where an individual has more than one spouse simultaneously. This practice can manifest in two main forms: polygyny, where one man marries multiple women, and polyandry, where one woman marries multiple men. Polygamy has historical roots in numerous cultures and is still practiced in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Most traditional human cultures permit at least some form of having multiple partners.
However, in many modern societies, particularly Western ones, polygamy is illegal and very often viewed with moral and ethical disapproval due to concerns about gender equality and welfare of all parties involved. In contrast, in countries where it remains legal and culturally accepted, such as Saudi Arabia and parts of Nigeria, polygamy tends to be seen as a prestigious practice that can strengthen alliances and increase familial bonds.
Study author Andrew G. Thomas and his colleagues wanted to assess how much interest there is for polygamous relationships in cultures where monogamy is the norm. They were also interested in discovering psychological and environmental factors that might explain such interests, noting that the desire for polygamy could be higher among those who stand to gain more in terms of reproductive success.
For example, men might be more interested in polygamy because it is a way through which they could reproduce with more women. Similarly, women might be less interested in polygamy if that would lead to a loss of investment from their current partner. However, single women who are unable to secure an exclusive investment from a specific man might be more open to polygyny. Women that are younger, more attractive and in higher social status might be less interested in polygyny. The researchers conducted two studies to explore these dynamics.
In the first study, 393 heterosexual residents of the UK participated, with an average age of 25 years, and 63% of them were women. They were recruited through social media and completed the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory – Revised and other questionnaires developed by the study authors to assess their interest in and knowledge of polygamy. These questionnaires defined polygamy as committed, consensual, and exclusive one-to-many relationships, including marriage.
The second study involved 735 heterosexual UK residents recruited through Prolific. Participants, who were paid 7.5 GBP per hour, had an average age of 33 years; 57% were men, and 66% were in committed relationships. They were introduced to the concept of polygyny and completed assessments of their interest in polygyny, their knowledge of it, social status (using the 16-item Dominance-Prestige Scale), self-perceived mate value (Mate Value Scale), and intrasexual competitiveness (Scale for Intrasexual Competition).
Results of the first study showed that 68% of participants were aware of what polygamous relationships are. Overall, 19% of participants declared that they are interested in polygynous relationships with an additional 16% being unsure. For polyandrous relationships, it was 10% stating that they are interested and additional 15% being unsure.
Men were 3.5 more likely to say “Yes” to polygynous than to polyandrous relationships. Women were twice as likely to say “Yes” to polyandry than to polygyny. Overall, monogamous relationships were the most popular, followed by polygynous. Two-timing, a type of relationship where an individual is in a relationship with two people who are unaware of each other was the least popular.
Results of study 2 confirmed the results of the first study to a large extent. 62% of participants declared that they are not interested in a polygynous relationship. However, men were 6 times more open to such a relationship than women. More specifically, they were 8 times more likely to say “Yes” to the question about openness for such relationship and twice more likely to be “Unsure”. Again, monogamy was the favored and two-timing the least favored relationship type. In general, men were more interested in relationship than women.
“In the UK sample, a sizeable minority of individuals showed interest in polygamous relationships. The greatest interest came from men, who liked the idea of polygyny far more than women. In contrast, both sexes had similar, very low levels of interest in polyandry. A follow-up study confirmed our initial findings that there was little in the way of a unique profile of traits associated with polygynous interest,” the study authors concluded.
The study highlights current preferences concerning romantic relationship structures among UK residents. However, it should be noted that both studies relied on online samples, which may not fully represent the general population of the UK. Furthermore, as the study focused exclusively on UK residents, results might differ in other cultural contexts.
The paper, “Polygamous Interest in a Mononormative Nation: The Roles of Sex and Sociosexuality in Polygamous Interest in a Heterosexual Sample from the UK,” was authored by Andrew G. Thomas, Sophie Harrison, Justin K. Mogilski, Steve Stewart‑Williams, and Lance Workman.