Mate-retention capacity and singlehood: Evidence from the Greek, Russian, and Ukrainian cultural contexts

Evolution and Human Behavior. 2026. Vol. 47. No. 6. Article 106987.

Apostolou M., Constantinou M., Ferreira N., Gallyamova A., Golubkova A., Grigoryev D., Komyaginskaya E., Lisun Y., Sullman M., Urazaeva E.

Evolutionary theorizing indicates that people vary considerably in their capacity to retain intimate partners, and part of this variation may contribute to singlehood. Candidate items were generated with AI tools and refined by the authors into an instrument to measure this capacity. In a sample of 2296 participants from Greek, Russian, and Ukrainian cultural contexts, approximately one in four participants indicated a poor capacity to retain mates. Furthermore, this capacity was strongly associated with relationship status. Specifically, lower scores on this dimension were linked to an increased likelihood of being involuntarily single, voluntarily single, or between-relationships single. Lower capacity was also associated with more years spent as single and shorter relationship durations. Additionally, we identified several traits that were associated with a lower capacity to retain a relationship and, indirectly, with a higher likelihood of singlehood. Our findings were consistent across the three cultural groups and between both sexes.

Keywords: singlehood, mating, mate-retention capacity, mate-retention capacity inventory

Publication based on the results of: Independent creative action of different categories of the population in various spheres of activity: universal and specific characteristics (2025)