A comparison of polyamorous and monoamorous persons: are there differences in indices of relationship well-being and sociosexuality?

Abstract

A convenience sample of 284 self-identified polyamorous and monoamorous men and women were compared on various psychometrically sound indices of relationship well-being (e.g. intimacy and trust) as well as sociosexuality. Results indicated that both polyamorous men and women evidenced greater levels of intimacy in comparison to their monoamorous counterparts. Polyamorous men also reported stronger attitudinal and behavioural sociosexuality (i.e. more favourable attitudes towards uncommitted/casual sexual activity and a greater number of casual sexual partners). These differences remained statistically significant, even when controlling for socio-demographic variables such as age, income, educational attainment and sexual orientation.

Keywords:

• polyamory
• monoamory
• monogamy
• sexuality
• relationships

Notes

1. Throughout this article, we employ the neologism ‘monoamorous’ to serve as a more accurate counterpart to the term ‘polyamory’. However, in the survey proper, the word ‘monogamy’ was employed as it was presumed this term would be more intelligible to those functioning outside the polyamorous community.

2. Respondents’ geographic location was not solicited. Therefore, given the diverse methods used to recruit participants, it is impossible to estimate how many individuals are Canadian, American and so forth. However, based on the sites used to recruit participants and the second author's use of chain-referral sampling, we contend that most participants would be situated in North America or the United Kingdom.

3. Descriptive statistics for the remaining categories (e.g. polyamorous in theory and polyamorous in theory with a monogamous partner) as well as those selecting ‘other’ in response to the gender item are available upon request.

4. The differences noted between polyamorous and monoamorous men in terms of income and educational attainment may be attributable to the former being significantly older than the latter.

5. When researchers provided means and standard deviations for their measures, statistical comparisons could be made using an independent group t-test calculator: http://www.dimensionresearch.com/resources/calculators/ttest.html

6. As these post hoc comparisons do not involve matched samples, the presence or absence of differences cannot be attributed to one's status as polyamorous or monoamorous.