Relationships

British scientists think they have found a reason why some women prefer a more feminine featured man like Orlando Bloom when compared to a macho men like the current James Bond actor, Daniel Craig. Researchers found in a study that was published in the Trends in Ecology and Evolution medical journal, that women who are on the contraceptive pill (when hormones are chemically controlled) are less likely to seek out more rugged and muscular men. When women are ovulating and not on the birth control pill, they tend to prefer a more masculine man and one who shows dominance.

I wonder, if specifying if you are on the birth control pill should be an option in a dating profile? 😉

If you pick up a copy of this month's "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin" you will find an article by MIT Sloan Assistant Professor Joshua M. Ackerman and Douglas T. Kenrick of Arizona State University, which reviews a series of studies they did about cooperation and romance. What they found is people will be more successful at dating and relationships if they ask for help from friends. This help does vary between the sexes though. For instance, men tended to help each other to gain access to desirable women (think of the term wingmen). On the other hand, women help each other by evaluating potential matches and by creating barriers between undesirable men.

Surprisingly, this type of relationship behaviour in humans is also found in other animals. Male wild turkeys will cooperate with each other to court a female. Higher primates and lions also exhibit similar behavior.

Most people would say women cry more than men, and they would be right. The reason behind this according to Psychologist Associate Professor Joseph Ciarrochi is, women experience more emotions than men. Women tend to also cry in more situations, like from feeling insecure, to peer pressure. 65 percent of the time when a women is weeping, it will turn into full blown sobbing. A full crying session for a women lasts on average 6 minutes, were with men it lasts on average for 2. Women also cry between 30 and 64 times a year. This is much higher than men who shed tears only about 6 times a year. If you separate the sensitive men out, they do cry more often at 17 times a year.

One interesting thing to note about crying between the genders is, before puberty hits each sex cry's about the same number of times a year.

For the full story, visit The Daily Telegraph.

Lynne met her husband, Dave, online six years ago. They met on a dating site called LDS Mingle which is an online matchmaking service for Mormon singles. Back then online dating wasn't as popular but Lynn had exhausted all of the prearranged dates that her well meaning friends had found for her. She wasn't going to give up but she wanted to meet a man whose religious affiliation was with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Online dating was the only real choice for her. When she first connected with Dave online they found that they lived 700 miles apart. This didn't stop them from forming a relationship and they were soon calling each other every night on the phone. In a few months Dave came to visit Lynn and in just 8 hours after meeting her in person, he had proposed. They were married that summer.

For the full story on this dating success story, read the Mormon Times.

The good times with someone you’re dating are always good. But what about when you just seem to hit a wall or your perfect partner does something that’s not-so-perfect? Having an open line of communication in your relationship will not only help keep the air clear but pave the way for a relationship filled with affection instead of pent-up angst. Here are some tips to help you navigate the rougher waters with your partner.

Count to ten…or three days. The moral being, don’t be reactionary and a hot head. If your partner does something that upsets you or just doesn’t sit well with your better sensibilities, give yourself a few minutes (or even a few days) to think about why that upset you. When you’re ready to talk, it’s likely you’ll be able to have a much calmer conversation driven by reason than emotion.

Dating around the holidays adds another layer to your growing relationship. Not only are there multiple families and obligations involved, but you want to spend time with your partner at this special time of the year. Buying gifts, snuggling by the fire – there’s plenty of time for every obligation. You just need to sit down and plan with your partner so that no one feels left out and obligations are out on the table.

Who needs to be where? You both have families and traditional things you do around the holidays. Sit down and talk with your partner about who needs to be where so that you know if you’re going to take the leap and travel together or plan to have your own time and then visit with families separately. If your relationship is newer, maybe you’re not ready to “meet the parents” yet. Save yourself the headache of pushing a premature meeting by being open and honest with your partner about your feelings and expectations. It’s a time to celebrate – not argue!