Table 1.
Comparison of demographic and health-related characteristics of the infatuation, separation, long-term relationship, and single group.
| Infatuation (n = 16) | Separation (n = 14) | Long-term relationship (n = 40) | Single (n = 31) | Test statistic | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||||
| Age (years) (M, SD) | 21.44 (2.28) | 23.07 (3.25) | 20.38 (2.08) | 21.23 (2.45) | F3, 97 = 4.43 | .006i |
| BMI (M, SD) | 21.51 (1.93) | 21.52 (2.25) | 20.97 (2.75) | 22.08 (3.05) | F3, 97 = 1.00 | .395 |
| Highest educational status | Fisher’s exact | |||||
| Academic degree (%) | 2 (12.5) | 7 (50.0) | 7 (17.5) | 29 (93.5) | .008 | |
| A level (%) | 14 (87.5) | 7 (50.0) | 33 (82.5) | 2 (6.5) | ||
| Stressful life events (last three months) (%)a | 4 (25.0) | 2 (14.3) | 2 (5.0) | 3 (9.7) | Fisher’s exact | .147 |
| Medication intake (last three months) (%)b | Fisher’s exact | |||||
| yes, rarely/seldom | 4 (25.0) | 3 (21.4) | 11 (27.5) | 5 (16.1) | .632 | |
| yes, regularly | 4 (25.0) | 2 (14.3) | 11 (27.5) | 5 (16.1) | ||
| No | 8 (50.0) | 9 (64.3) | 18 (45.0) | 21 (67.7) | ||
| Hormonal contraceptives (%) | 11 (68.8) | 6 (42.9) | 26 (65.0) | 5 (16.1) | χ23 = 20.16 | <.001 |
| Alcohol consumption (%) | H3 = 1.63 | |||||
| Never | – | 1 (7.1) | 3 (7.5) | 1 (3.2) | .654 | |
| on singular occasions | 3 (18.8) | 1 (7.1) | 8 (20.0) | 6 (19.4) | ||
| once or twice a month | 6 (37.5) | 4 (28.6) | 12 (30.0) | 9 (29.0) | ||
| once or twice a week | 7 (43.8) | 7 (50.0) | 17 (42.5) | 14 (45.2) | ||
| daily or almost daily | – | 1 (7.1) | – | 1 (3.2) | ||
| Drug use (%)c | H3 = 9.72 | |||||
| Never | 8 (50.0) | 11 (78.6) | 34 (85.0) | 27 (87.1) | .021 | |
| on singular occasions | 6 (37.5) | 2 (14.3) | 4 (10.0) | 3 (9.7) | ||
| once or twice a month | 2 (12.5) | – | 1 (2.5) | 1 (3.2) | ||
| once or twice a week | – | 1 (7.1) | 1 (2.5) | – | ||
| Self-Identified Sexual Orientation (%)d | Fisher’s exact | |||||
| Heterosexual | 13 (81.3) | 12 (85.7) | 38 (95.0) | 24 (77.4) | .113 | |
| Bisexual | 3 (18.8) | 2 (14.3) | 1 (2.5) | 6 (19.4) | ||
| Pansexual | – | – | 1 (2.5) | – | ||
| Asexual | – | – | – | 1 (3.2) | ||
| Duration of current relationship status (months) (M, SD) | 2.46 (1.33)e | 2.29 (1.20) | 35.27 (19.06)f | 27.07 (13.11)g | ||
| Storage Time of hair samples in days (M, SD) | 61.01 (38.95)h | 60.14 (38.56)h | 92.87 (12.26)g | 69.33 (35.43)g | F3, 89 = 7.05 | <.001j |
Included family conflicts (n = 3) and illness (n = 3) or death (n = 5) of a close person.
Included non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen; n = 17), oral contraceptives (n = 11), glucocorticoid-containing or thyroid medication (n = 8, excluded for later endocrine analyses), antibiotics (n = 4), psychotropic (n = 3), and other medication (n = 4).
Included cannabis (n = 16), stimulants (n = 6), and other substances (n = 1).
Participants were asked to describe their sexual orientation (self-identification label that best describes them either exclusively or predominantly).
Based on n = 13, which only corresponds to infatuated women who have reported.
Four (10%) individuals from the long-term relationship, but none from the single group reported a current open relationship.
Based on n = 14 corresponding to only those individuals from the single group who had reported to have had any previous relationships.
Based on infatuation (n = 14), separation (n = 12), long-term relationship (n = 38) and single group (n = 29).
Separation > long-term relationship group (p = .003) with the infatuation and the single group in between (all ps ≥ .116).
Infatuation = separation = single < long-term relationship group (ps ≤ .01).