Stay friends with your ex? These are the 7 reasons why
Breaking up with a significant other is hard. And being friends with that person after a split isn't easy either.
However scientists say that there are seven reasons why we're drawn to staying buddies with our ex's.
According to a study by Justin Mogilski and Lisa Welling at Oakland University published in Personalty and Individual Differences, there are a list of reasons why former partners stay friends.
The study asked 348 volunteers to list why they might do so, and they came up with 153 reasons.
A second group of people were then asked to rate each reason on a scale of of one to five. They were also asked to complete personality questionnaires.
And from that, the researchers were left with seven main reasons:
1. Sentimentality – "They made me a better person" or because you went through a lot together, good or bad.
2. Pragmatism – "They have a lot of money or offer transportation to certain places."
3. Continued romantic attraction – "Still having feelings for one another."
4. Children or shared resources such as a pet, property or a car.
5. Diminished sexual attraction which makes it easier to have a platonic relationship.
6. Social relationship maintenance – "Having friends in common and minimising drama."
7. Sexual access – "To keep having sex with them."
In most cases, friendship wth an ex was described as more tense than other friendships (obvs) and each person had more negative feelings towards their ex than another friend.
So, you can be friends with an ex, but it clearly comes at (some sort of) a price.
