Do you feel like going back to your ex-partner? Science explains why!

If you feel like going back to your ex-partner after a break up, you are not alone—almost 50 per cent of couples do the same. According to a series of studies published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, the number of couples who get back after a break-up is almost equal to those who go separate ways after a relationship fails. Yes, you read it right! Here are some studies that explain the probable reasons. Read on…

Researchers at the University of Utah and University of Toronto questioned participants about what made them go back or leave their partner after a break-up. The survey concluded that there were 27 distinct reasons that made couples to reunite after a break-up and there were 23 reasons behind their decision to stay apart. Here are the most popular reasons behind both the decisions.

A whopping 66 per cent of people go back to their partner because of the emotional intimacy they shared. Also, respondents cited that they had developed a level of dependency on their partners that made it difficult for them to spend their life without them post break-up. Isn’t it a common reason?

Many participants confessed that they reunited with their ex-partners because they were uncertain about what the future holds for them. They were unsure about how their life would turn out if they stayed single.

Other common reasons behind the patch up were the optimism (that the person would change and their bond would improve), the emotional investment in the relationship and family duties.

The research had another interesting conclusion. Dealing with a break-up is tougher for the person who is doing it because there is always a doubt whether the decision to part ways was right or not.

More than 38 per cent respondents did not patch up because they found their partner unfaithful. Other reasons included the growing emotional distance, incompatibility and frequent fights. Despite these reasons, 49 per cent of the respondents who had decided to not go back still experienced mixed feelings.

(All images used here are representational)