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'Bromances' satisfy men more than romantic relationships, study suggests

'Bromances' satisfy men more than romantic relationships, study suggests
Posted at 7:23 AM, Nov 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-15 07:23:43-05

We swear Turk and J.D. from the medical comedy "Scrubs" didn't write this study.

Young, heterosexual men draw more emotional satisfaction from their close male friends, or "bromances," than romantic relationships with females, according to a new study published in the journal "Men and Masculinities."

Researchers from the University of Winchester in England said "the increasingly intimate, emotive and trusting nature of bromances offers young men a new social space for emotional disclosure, outside of traditional heterosexual relationships."

Granted, the study only looked at data from 30 undergraduate men. Time pointed out that all were straight and had a sports-related major and that only one was not white.

Twenty-nine of the 30 reported cuddling with their bromantic partners. Overall, participants said they feel less judged by a bromance than by girlfriends.

“Tim knows I love listening to Taylor Swift and Beyonce, but I keep that quiet (around my girlfriend) because she would judge me. I feel like I have to be more manly around her," one participant reported.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows for the bromance, though. The study's authors described some concern that bromances can lead to men demonstrating an us vs. them mentality "that suggested allegiance to their 'bros' over their romantic partners." 

Read more about the study here and from Time magazine.