Opposite types in romantic relationships attract each other
The popular belief that 'opposites attract' is largely unsupported by empirical research in romantic relationships, which consistently finds that people tend to partner with those who are similar to themselves (homophily).
The claim posits that opposite types in romantic relationships attract. Paper [0] addresses this directly, noting that despite the cultural myth of opposites attracting, actual mate selection data overwhelmingly shows similarity (homophily). Paper [1] further supports the finding that similarity in core views correlates with relationship satisfaction. The remaining papers [2-9] discuss various other topics in interpersonal attraction, mate value, and person perception but do not substantiate the 'opposites attract' claim. Therefore, the weight of the evidence refutes the claim.
Warner Wilson. Brief Resolution of the Issue of Similarity versus Complementarity in Mate Selection Using Height Preferences as a Model. 1989. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1989.65.2.387
Paper [0] notes that while people often hold a strong conviction that opposites attract, most empirical data actually show that we choose someone similar.
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Danhia Eskenazi, Avital Greenfest. I can’t get no satisfaction: Do opposites attract?. 2019. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/nh4w8
Paper [1] finds that homophily, particularly in political and religious views, is a significant factor in determining relationship satisfaction.
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