Effect Of Chronic Disease On Romantic Partner Choice
Authors
Loredana Ruxandra Gherasim
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Department of Psychology
Andreea Mihaela Mihalca
Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Department of Psychological Counseling and Psychotherapy
Abstract
Background: Interpersonal attraction is influenced by many factors like physical attraction, similarity or proximity. The impact of chronic illnesses on romantic relationships hasn’t been studied very deeply. Method. An experimental study was completed in order to analyze how the chronic disease influences the choice of a romantic partner and the compensatory role of partner’s personality traits on relationship assessment. Five hundred and forty undergraduate students (270 men and 270 women from 18 to 31 years old) participated in this experiment. Results. The effect of chronic disease upon romantic partner’s choice proved to depend on the type of partner’s personality traits. The positive personality traits compensated the physical chronic disease and the chronic diseases compensated the negative traits of personality. This study is one of the few done in this field and brought valuable information’s about ill person’s assessment as a partner in a romantic relationship.
