Age-gap Relationships: Does Age Have an Impact on the Relationship?

A study entitled "Commitment in Age-Gap Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: A Test of Evolutionary and Socio-Cultural Predictions" determined that couples with more than a ten-year age gap experience social disapproval or are most likely to receive hate.

Hence, when it comes to relationships, both men and women prefer someone their age but are willing to have a partner 10-15 years their junior or senior.

Some relationships have a significant age gap, and data suggests that approximately 1 percent of heterosexual couples in the United States have an age difference of 28 years or more. People's views on age-gap relationships evolved as they are shaped by many years of evolutionary psychology and different generations of social and cultural norms.

Dr. Loren Olson, a psychiatrist in Des Moines, Iowa, states that some couples might think that a huge age gap can impact their relationship over time, while others value what they think is compatible and essential for them and do not mind the age gap at all.

"We have a chronological age, a psychological age, a physical age, and a sexual age. Age-gap couples frequently are compatible in the last three," Dr. Olson added, per PsychCentral.

How much is too much of an age gap in relationships?

Relationships with a huge age gap are usually called May-December relationships. According to Psychology Today, some romantic couples don't mind their age as a factor in their compatibility. Both men and women value the importance of a partner who is benevolent, trustworthy, and faithful.

On the other hand, women look for someone who can support both the relationship and their future family. Women see themselves as child bearers which they think is a big investment on their behalf as they will need to exert more effort and time in childbearing. Thus, they will look for a partner who will invest resources in both relationships and family.

Psych Central clarifies that the age gap has nothing to do with any effects and impacts on the relationship as communication serves as the main key for navigating differences in any partnership, which always happens in a relationship, even in a relationship that does not have an age gap at all.

Brandy Porche, a licensed professional counselor with MindPath, says that even if a relationship has a small gap, levels of maturity can still be observed, while in relationships that have an age gap of 10 to 15 years or more, experiences are more different and these people are more mature and knowledgeable in life.

Mialauni Griggs, ALMFT, a relational therapist, told Very Well Mind that the common stigma in society is when the woman is younger, people would assume that she is a gold digger and the man is just lonely. Whereas, if the woman is older, the woman is still immature and is still trying to regain her youth and the man is probably the gold digger.

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How society views the age gap is an inappropriate one

Age difference has no impact on the relationship but on the society that makes an age-gap relationship a big deal and treats it as something unacceptable because of traditions, religions, and cultures that judgmental people grew up with.

According to Brides, couples with a huge age gap must not let these differences become the elephant in the room. Instead, they should focus on things that work for both of them and openly communicate concerns, including age-related concerns or anything. Like any other relationship, communication is the key to the wellness of a union.

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