A team of Norwegian researchers from the University of Bergen has identified a newly described personality characteristic linked to a higher likelihood of infidelity in intimate relationships. The trait, termed emophilia, describes a tendency to fall in love quickly and repeatedly. The finding was reported in the scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology (FIP).
Romantic love is a complex phenomenon marked by a deep emotional and physical pull toward another person, accompanied by waves of passion, closeness, and a sense of long-term commitment. The journey typically begins with falling in love, the moment when a person transitions into the experience of romantic affection. People differ in how readily and how frequently this attraction develops and deepens into a sustained bond.
Researchers propose that the ease with which someone falls in love, and how often such experiences occur, may constitute a relatively stable psychological trait. This stability suggests emophilia could be a consistent pattern across different life situations rather than a temporary mood.
The study’s authors aimed to evaluate how accurately the Emotional Confusion Scale captures emophilia within the general population. Their hypothesis posited that emophilia could help predict both the number of romantic relationships a person might have over time and the likelihood that they would engage in cheating incidents.
Data were gathered from 2,607 participants who completed an online survey. Respondents reported their lifetime count of romantic relationships and the number of times they had been unfaithful. They also completed a questionnaire designed to measure levels of emophilia.
Analyses indicated that emophilia showed some connections with established personality traits, notably neuroticism, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. However, these links were relatively modest, indicating that emophilia may function as a distinct psychological dimension rather than simply overlapping with other traits.
Individuals with higher levels of emophilia tended to report more romantic relationships and also reported more frequent acts of infidelity. This pattern aligns with the idea that rapid and repeated fallings in love can shape the trajectory of a person’s intimate life, influencing both the rate of relationship turnover and the propensity to breach monogamous agreements.
The authors emphasized that the study contributes to the advancement of psychological assessment tools and enhances scientific understanding of emophilia as a measurable characteristic. They view emophilia as a potential indicator that merits further exploration in clinical and educational settings to support healthier relationship dynamics and informed counseling approaches.
Earlier research on this topic referred to psychological factors that might predict future betrayal in relationships, underscoring the importance of examining how individual differences in love experiences relate to commitment and trust over time.