A comparable market value appears to be the secret to a good marriage.

You probably remember an old American high school movie where a super nerdy teenager falls in love with the prettiest girl in school. At first, the girl knows nothing about this unpopular nerd (who most wouldn’t consider a good companion), but by the end of the movie, she’s fallen for him anyway. It’s a classic romantic movie formula. But one that probably won’t translate to the real world, new research argues.

Successful relationship

Scientists have in a new study The secret to a successful relationship unraveled. And that is: a comparable market value. People who are similar in the market are not only more likely to enter into a relationship with each other, but are also more likely to have longer-lasting and successful relationships.

Himba

This conclusion is based on research into the semi-nomadic Himba population, who live in northwestern Namibia in southern Africa. The Himba roam the country with their cows and goats and also grow maize. Researcher Sean Prall interviewed the Himba about how attractive or nice they found others in the community. With this information, he then estimated everyone’s ‘market value’; a measure that describes how likely a person is to want a relationship with another person. He then analyzed all relationship statuses.

Five years of research

In total, Prall studied the population for five years. During that time, he analyzed data on marriage, parenting decisions, children’s health, food insecurity, and even how picky people were about their partners. And that yielded interesting insights. While many of the findings from his previous studies related only to the Himba, Prall argues that the results of the new study can be broadened. “The characteristics of this population lent themselves perfectly to gathering such information,” he says.

Comparable Market Value

The researchers found that people of similar market value were more likely to start a relationship with each other, and the relationship was also more likely to succeed. The researchers suspect that this applies not only to the Himba, but actually to most people on Earth.

Risky

Plus, looking for someone with a higher market value (like the nerd who falls in love with the prettiest girl in school) can actually be risky, the researchers argue. Thus, such relationships would be more unstable and require more time and energy. Differences in preferences and partner characteristics can also lead to dissatisfaction with the relationship. Yet it regularly happens that people have a crush on a person who is too ambitious, also among the Himba. But when push comes to shove, they still choose someone with a comparable market value.

Preference vs actions

According to Prall, the study is an important addition to existing research on human relationships. “A lot of research is based on people’s preferences,” he says. “However, our study actually focuses on people’s actions.” In short, the researchers looked less at the expressed preferences and more at actions. And that’s an important difference, as one’s preference can be heavily influenced by social pressures. “Sure, you could say you prefer someone you really like, but that’s heavily influenced by societal norms,” Prall explains. “What do you do in a particular relationship? How are you actually? We wanted to find out.”

You could say that the researchers lend a hand to people who are still diligently looking for a companion. If you want a successful relationship, look for someone who is just as good in the market as you are. There is a good chance that the coveted fairy tale ending ‘and they lived happily ever after’ will come true.