Doctor Helen Fisher, the chief scientific advisor to match.com has revealed the science behind successful relationships after testing the romantic chemistry of nearly 30,000 singles.
The research involved studying the character traits of more than 28,128 match.com members and has been developed to guide singles to potential partners. It examines not just basic personality traits, but also includes other aspects ranging from favourite foods and the type of exercise preferred to attitudes towards risk and even expertise with machinery.
Dr Fisher, who has studied the science of romance for 35 years, believes that this explains why some couples, such as Brad and Angelina, enjoy more successful relationships than others, such as Brad and his former partner Jennifer.
It hinges on which of four chemicals – dopamine, oestrogen, serotonin or testosterone – is most dominant in the brain. The balance of these chemicals helps create four different personality types which can then be used to determine how compatible people are.
The four personality types are explorers, builders, negotiators and directors.
Explorers, ruled by dopamine, tend to be novelty seeking, risk-taking and spontaneous and tend to work well with other explorers. Brad and Angelina are both explorers.
Serotonin is the dominant chemical in builders, people who are calm, conscientious, loyal and cautious. Unfortunately for Jennifer who is a builder, builders are more likely to be drawn to other builders and, like Brad, Jennifer’s recent ex-boyfriend John Mayer is an explorer.
Negotiators (oestrogen) are imaginative, intuitive and compassionate and they have good people skills while directors, who are ruled by testosterone, are more direct, decisive, competitive and often musical. Directors and Negotiators are better with each other than with a person sharing the same characteristics.
It does not always mean there cannot be a successful match between other combinations, but it may take more effort to keep the relationship alive. For instance, negotiators and builders can have a fiery but ultimately successful relationship. Dr Fisher has identified 10 different pairings, but some work a lot better than others.
Dr Fisher said: “The reasons why we love are incredibly complex, but it is possible to scientifically understand why people partner better with certain types.”
So far seven million members of dating site match.com have taken the personality test based on this research in order to find the perfect partner.
Dr Fisher is a research professor of anthropology and one of the world’s leading experts on the nature of romantic love and attachment. Her research and her unique personality test are the subject of a new book ‘Why Him? Why Her? A guide to finding and keeping your perfect match’, has spent nearly five years developing her concept.
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