Non-monogamous people just as happy as monogamous people, study finds

Discussions of non-monogamy have boomed online in the past few years, as hookup apps like Feeld have made it easier for people to participate in "the lifestyle."

As with any subject on the internet, though, there's been backlash to the non-monogamy hype. While some are looking for alternate relationship styles, others are trying to be tradwives who idealize monogamy and marriage. Even Feeld pointed out that, in research with the Kinsey Institute, that young adults fantasize about monogamy these days.

According to new research, however, they may not need to: An analysis of 35 studies involving over 24,000 people worldwide found no significant differences between monogamous and non-monogamous people. The peer-reviewed study published in The Journal of Sex Research states that both groups report similar levels of satisfaction in their relationships and sex lives.

These satisfaction levels remained consistent across different demographics like LGBTQ and heterosexual people and differing non-monogamy types like open relationships and polyamory. (We explain the differences in our introduction to non-monogamy.)

"Monogamous relationships are often assumed to offer greater satisfaction, intimacy, commitment, passion, and trust than non-monogamous ones. This widespread belief — what we term as the 'monogamy-superiority myth' — is often reinforced by stereotypes and media narratives," lead author, associate professor Joel Anderson, a principal research fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sexuality, Health, and Society at La Trobe University, said in the press release.

"Our findings challenge this long-standing assumption outside of academia, providing further evidence that people in consensually non-monogamous relationships experience similar levels of satisfaction in their relationships and sex lives as those in monogamous ones," Anderson continued.

There were limitations to the study, however. They were all self-reported, so respondents could be swayed to respond a certain way to justify their life choices. Also, as the study relied on online sampling, that could've reduced its representativeness and generalizability, the press release stated.

Despite these limitations, alternative relationship structures are unlikely to go away soon — and the same goes for social media conversations about them.