A new study published in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences sheds light on the psychological impacts of perceived sex ratio, or the balance between available men and women, on mental health in young single adults. The research found that the perceived availability of mates influences feelings of anxiety, depression, and general emotional wellbeing, but that this effect depends on how individuals assess their own desirability as a mate. Surprisingly, the findings suggest that both a scarcity and an overabundance of dating options can have negative mental health implications for single adults.
Finding a romantic partner is a significant life goal for many people, and previous research has shown that being in a stable relationship is linked to better mental health and greater life satisfaction. On the flip side, being single or having difficulty finding a partner can be associated with negative emotional states such as loneliness, anxiety, and depression. While much research has explored how relationships themselves affect wellbeing, relatively little is known about how the perceived availability of potential partners influences mental health.
The researchers behind this study wanted to explore whether the perception of mate availability—how easy or difficult it feels to find a romantic partner—could impact mental health in the same way that relationship status does. They also sought to understand how an individual’s self-perceived mate value, or their belief about their desirability as a romantic partner, might affect this relationship.
The study involved 647 young adults, all of whom were single, heterosexual, and aged between 18 and 40. Participants were recruited through an online crowdsourcing platform and from introductory psychology courses. To ensure the sample was as uniform as possible, the researchers excluded anyone who had been married, had children, or was currently in a committed relationship, as these factors could affect perceptions of mate availability and related mental health outcomes.
Participants first completed a screening survey to ensure they met the study’s criteria. Those who qualified were asked a series of questions about their perception of mate availability, their self-assessed mate value, and their mental health.
To measure perceived mate availability, participants were asked whether they believed there were more men, more women, or an equal number of both available in their local dating pool. They were then asked to estimate the number of opposite-sex individuals for every 100 individuals of their own sex.
Mate value was assessed using a four-item scale, where participants rated their own desirability as a partner. This self-perception, which was measured through questions about attractiveness and general appeal, was then used to categorize participants as having low, medium, or high mate value.
Mental health was evaluated using well-established measures for anxiety, depression, and general emotional wellbeing. The researchers used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale to assess anxiety, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale to measure depressive symptoms, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule to gauge participants’ overall emotional state. Life satisfaction was also assessed using a separate scale.
The researchers found that perceived mate availability had a significant impact on several aspects of mental health, but this effect varied based on an individual’s self-assessed mate value.
For individuals who rated their mate value as low, a perception of fewer available opposite-sex individuals (meaning they felt their own sex was oversupplied) was linked to increased anxiety, depression, and negative emotions. In this group, the difficulty of finding a mate in a seemingly competitive dating environment appeared to take a toll on mental wellbeing.
Interestingly, the pattern was reversed for individuals who saw themselves as having high mate value. For these participants, an abundance of potential mates (a perception that there were more available individuals of the opposite sex than their own) was associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and negative emotions. One possible explanation for this surprising finding is that an overabundance of dating options can lead to “choice overload,” a phenomenon where too many options can make decision-making difficult and unsatisfying.
In terms of life satisfaction, those who perceived an equal number of available men and women reported higher satisfaction with their lives compared to those who felt there were either too few or too many potential mates. This effect was more pronounced among males, who seemed to be more sensitive to the perceived sex ratio when it came to their overall life satisfaction.
While this study offers important insights into how perceived mate availability and self-assessed mate value influence mental health, it is not without limitations. First, the study relied on self-reported data, which can sometimes be inaccurate or influenced by factors like social desirability.
Another limitation is that the study was correlational, meaning that it cannot determine whether perceived mate availability causes changes in mental health or if individuals with poor mental health are more likely to perceive a scarcity or abundance of potential partners. Longitudinal studies, which follow participants over time, would be useful in determining the direction of this relationship.
The study also touched on an interesting phenomenon—choice overload—that warrants further investigation. Future studies could examine whether having too many options in the dating market causes stress or indecision and how this might be mitigated. For example, online dating platforms could be a useful avenue for studying this concept, as they often present users with an overwhelming number of potential matches.
Despite the limitations, the study adds to the growing body of research on how our romantic lives can influence our mental health in complex and unexpected ways. The findings suggest that the perceived availability of potential romantic partners is related to levels of anxiety, depression, and emotional wellbeing, but that the impact depends on how individuals perceive their own desirability as a mate.
The study, “Mate value moderates the influence of perceived sex ratio on mental health outcomes,” was authored by Naomi Rosenbach and Craig A. Johnson.
