Men with higher verbal intelligence more likely to marry, study finds

Would you choose wealth over wit in a romantic partner?

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Love is a very complicated thing.

A trait that one person finds completely irresistible in a partner may prove entirely unappealing in someone else’s eyes.

However, according to a recent study, the types of intelligence exhibited by men can play a huge factor in determining whether or not they’re going to marry and for how long.

Researchers from Hanken School of Economics and Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland and Temple University in Philadelphia decided to explore how a man’s intelligence can affect his marriage prospects.

The team, led by Jaakko Aspara, used data collated by the Finnish armed forces, the National Population Register Centre in Finland and the Finnish Tax Authority.

In total, they assessed approximately 190,000 men, taking into account their IQs and other variables such as their income and social status.

The IQ scores of the men were separated into three parts: verbal, logical and numerical intelligence.

Verbal intelligence involves being able to analyse information and solve problems using language-based reasoning.

Logical intelligence consists of being adept at understanding and solving complex problems, while those who display numerical intelligence take a more mathematical approach.

The researchers concluded that young male adults with greater intelligence were more likely marry in future, while those with higher levels of verbal intelligence had an even greater chance of tying the knot.

Men who were higher in intelligence were also more likely to stay married four years after their nuptials, regardless of their type of intelligence.

Wit wasn’t the only variable considered in the study.

The team also delved into whether a man’s wealth can influence his possibility of marriage.

According to their findings, a man with more money is even more likely than one with smarts to marry.

However, a man with a higher IQ has a greater chance of marrying and remaining married for a longer period of time.