Guys, have you ever let a significant other win at miniature golf, because you were worried that if you crushed them, they’d LEAVE YOU?
A study on competitiveness observed women as they performed tasks against strangers . . . and romantic partners. It found that the women’s concentration and willingness to compete were LOWER when they were paired with a romantic partner . . . meaning they tried harder against strangers.
And yet, they were more likely to WIN against their partner.
The researchers say that may be because men LET women win, as the result of “spouse retention strategies.” The idea is that they let the women win “to prevent the partners from leaving or being poached by other competitors.”
Some reports are comparing this to the old saying, “happy wife, happy life.”
But it’s interesting that they don’t dig into why the WOMEN are also softer when they’re competing against their partners.
Maybe they’re also deploying “spouse retention strategies,” and are concerned that their guy might not be able to handle feeling like HE couldn’t beat HER at something like mini golf?
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