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Open relationship
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===Reasons for entering an open relationship=== <!-- unless sourc(s) provided, this is a bunch of OR --> An open relationship may form for various reasons. These include:{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} * liking another person but not wanting to end the old relationship * pressure or coercion from the partner wishing for an open relationship * being non-monogamous by nature (i.e. born that way){{citation needed|date=August 2020}} * a difference emerging between two people in a relationship * one partner realizing that they are unable to fulfill the other's needs<ref name="Taormino2008" /> * varying [[sex drive]] between partners<ref name="Taormino2008" /> * one or both partners desiring more freedom, companionship, intellectual variety, a variety of sexual partners,<ref name="Ramey1975" /> getting ahead career-wise or maintaining relationships * a need for challenge: some people feel that their relationship is inadequate unless they are being challenged. Open relationships may create a sense of [[jealousy]], [[attachment theory|attachment]], or possessiveness, all of which are challenges for a relationship to work through.<ref name="Taormino2008" /> These emotions can also lead to greater [[self-awareness]] which may be seen as satisfying to those in open relationships.<ref name="Taormino2008" /> Some research has found that individuals in open relationships report less jealousy compared to those in monogamous relationships.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Parsons |first1=Jeffrey T. |last2=Starks |first2=Tyrel J. |last3=Gamarel |first3=Kristi E. |last4=Grov |first4=Christian |date=October 2012 |title=Non-monogamy and sexual relationship quality among same-sex male couples. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/a0029561 |journal=Journal of Family Psychology |language=en |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=669β677 |doi=10.1037/a0029561 |pmid=22906124 |issn=1939-1293|url-access=subscription }}</ref> * the enjoyment of [[new relationship energy]], the state of heightened emotional and sexual receptivity and excitement experienced during the formation of a new physical relationship<ref name="Taormino2008" /> * being able to meet other couples and individuals with a similar outlook with whom the participants can connect with on an intellectual and emotional level<ref name="Ramey" /> * being in a relationship of convenience, that is, one that is not primarily based on mutual feeling of love towards each other (anymore), but rather on economic or social factors (e.g.: the traditional practice of [[polyandry]] in rural [[Tibet]]) * distance β when partners live in separate parts of the world for part or all of the time * sex may be more pleasing, and the participants may engage in it more frequently than those in an average couple<ref name="Ramey" /> * issues with sexual compatibility<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oberling |first=Vivian |date=2024-04-29 |title=Why Would Someone Want An Open Marriage: Psychological Insights |url=https://helloprenup.com/marriage/open-marriage-understanding-the-reasons-and-considerations-expert-advice/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=HelloPrenup |language=en-US}}</ref> * increased trust that comes with boundary setting and communication<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Ethical Non-Monogamy? ENM Relationships |url=https://www.attachmentproject.com/enm/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=Attachment Project |language=en-US}}</ref> * increased intimacy that comes with open discussion around sexual desires and experiences<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Ethical Non-Monogamy? ENM Relationships |url=https://www.attachmentproject.com/enm/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=Attachment Project |language=en-US}}</ref> βIt has been proposed that men (both gay and straight), in contrast to women, are able to cognitively separate sex from emotions (or love) in a process commonly termed compartmentalization.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Banfield |first1=Sophie |title=Archives of Sexual Behaviou |last2=McCabe |first2=Marita P. |publisher=Springer |year=2001}}</ref>" This means it is not unusual for [[homosexual men]] to have open relationships, which means breaking the βnormβ of a committed and βtypicalβ heterosexual relationship. That is not to suggest that open relationships do not work; research has shown comparable relationship satisfaction for both monogamous and non-monogamous couples.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rubel |first1=Alicia N. |last2=Bogaert |first2=Anthony F. |date=22 November 2015 |title=Consensual Nonmonogamy: Psychological Well-Being and Relationship Quality Correlates |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2014.942722 |journal=The Journal of Sex Research |volume=52 |issue=9 |pages=961β982 |doi=10.1080/00224499.2014.942722 |issn=0022-4499 |pmid=25189189|s2cid=36510972 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Blasband |first1=D |last2=Peplau |first2=L.A. |year=1986 |title=Sexual exclusivity versus openness in gay male couples |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=395β412 |doi=10.1007/BF01542001 |pmid=4062537 |s2cid=20680876}}</ref> However, it could be that there is a lack of emotional investment in the relationship that makes it harder to navigate through tough times.
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