In news bound to thrill and terrify straight men everywhere, they can now be assessed on their potential as a romantic partner by taking a boyfriend test. At least, that’s the theory of a team of researchers at Oakland University, who analysed 202 heterosexual men who’d been in relationships for at least six months and found that those with better problem-solving skills and abilities to spot patterns made steadier and more reliable partners. In other words, the nerds did best.
The authors of the study, led by data analyst and social scientist Gavin Vance, found that the men they studied who had a very specific type of intelligence – the ability to spot patterns in sequences of numbers and letters – were less likely to be tempted to take risks outside of a relationship, and were therefore more likely to stay faithful to their partner. They were also less likely to have displayed jealousy, exhibited controlling behaviours or insulted their partner, in addition to displaying fewer signs of psychopathic traits.
