B2 – Upper Intermediate
In the world of relationships, the the timeless concept of “opposites attract” has long been a source of fascination and debate. Recent scientific research, however, has helped shed new light on this idea, and is encouraging us to take a look at some of our assumptions when it comes to the nature of romantic relationships.
The topic of this article goes deep into some of the results of an innovative research study that assesses the question of whether partners are more likely to be similar or different, debunking common belief and offering fresh perspectives into the intricate interaction of personalities in intimate relationships.
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Vocabulary Questions:
- What does the idiom “birds of the same feather, flock together” mean, “Our findings demonstrate that birds of a feather are indeed more likely to flock together.”? Use this in your own sentence.
- What does “nitty gritty” mean, “82% and 89% of traits examined were similar among partners, ranging from political leanings and the age you lost your virginity to nitty gritty physical traits like whether people needed to wear glasses or their waist circumference.”? Use this in your own sentence.
- What does “high strung” mean in the sentence, “For example, there was little evidence of partner correlations for irritability, nervousness, or being ‘high strung’ — characteristics which potentially could play an important role when deciding whether you want to enter into a relationship with somebody else.”? Use this in your own sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What’s your take on this subject?
- What is the basis for the idea that people with different personalities are attracted to one another?
- How has this traditional belief been challenged in recent times?
- In what ways can partners with shared values build a solid foundation for their relationship? Explain.
- Does the latest study on relationship similarity suggests that partners must be completely similar to one another? Why or why not?