Scientists revealed a simple secret to finding true love

Sincere motives in the search for love lead to success: new research by Canadian scientists

Psychologists from the University of Toronto have found that people who seek romantic relationships out of a genuine desire for closeness, rather than due to social pressure or fear of loneliness, are significantly more likely to find a partner. The results of this intriguing study were published in the prestigious scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB).

During their work, scientists developed a special scale to measure motivation for seeking relationships. The study revealed significant differences in the reasons why people look for love: some truly strive for emotional closeness and a shared future, while others are guided by the feeling that "it's expected" or "it's about time." The theoretical foundation was the concept of self-determination, which divides motivation into internal (genuine interest, alignment with personal values) and external (social pressure, fears, desire to boost self-esteem).

A large-scale survey involving more than 1,200 single respondents showed that people with internal motivation demonstrated higher self-confidence, a tendency to care for their partner, and a serious attitude toward relationships. In contrast, participants who sought a partner out of fear of loneliness or desire to conform to social norms more often showed signs of anxious attachment and insecurity.

Observation of 3,000 single people aged 18 to 39 over six months confirmed the initial findings. Participants motivated by a sincere desire to create a family were indeed more likely to enter into relationships by the end of the study. And those who sought a partner to "not feel like a failure" or to earn approval from others were less likely to succeed.

The researchers particularly note: contrary to popular belief, social pressure and fear of remaining alone do not help in the search for love. On the contrary, it is the sincere desire to build a shared future that proves to be the most effective strategy for those who want to find genuine relationships.