New Study Shows That Only 15 Percent Of ‘Friends With Benefits’ Relationships Will Actually Progress To Something Serious


Back in the 1960s, Hubert Humphrey served as vice president under Lyndon B. Johnson. Though Humphrey has a long list of political accolades to his repertoire, he is probably most remembered for his quotes. One such quote that has been remembered years after he served in the Executive Branch is the following.

“The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.”

Many people do believe friendship is the gift of life, but for some, certain friendships give more than others. Such is the case of friendships that extend to include sexual activity, better known as being “friends with benefits.” Presently, the friends with benefits relationship has been a topic for romance such as a film starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. However, the Inquisitr reports the science behind friends with benefits is actually a disaster because of a theory known as drive reduction. Summarized, when a person desires to have more sex, they put emphasis on the pursuit of socially-acceptable methods to get more sex. The relationship detailed in this article kind of borders taboo to an extent.

Now, there is a new study that points to friends with benefits relationships are minimal in long-lasting fulfillment. Only 15 percent of all friends with benefits relationships actually become something more.

According to Bustle and followed-up by Elite, a study of 191 people – in which the majority were straight, white women with an average age of 30 – participated in a study which brought up friends with benefits relationships. The results show that after a year’s time, only 15 percent of them were able to make their friends with benefits relationship turn into something serious. As a matter of fact, the study actually shows that being friends with benefits has a higher risk of actually killing the relationship after one year. About 31 percent said they had nothing to do with their former friends with benefits, while 28 percent went back to being friends without benefits and 26 percent remained friends with benefits.

It is also contingent that communication and the establishment of ground rules should be covered beforehand because with such, the success rate goes up for couples in friends with benefits relationships of eventually become friends again. Sadly, the study did not venture into territory that would detail why some friends with benefits relationships worked while others failed.

In conclusion, a friends with benefits relationship is actually messy. From what is said in the reports, emotions will somehow play a factor and if both individuals in this endeavor do not have an understanding, it would have been better just to have avoided such a relationship in the first place.

[Images via Friends With Benefits]

Share this article: New Study Shows That Only 15 Percent Of ‘Friends With Benefits’ Relationships Will Actually Progress To Something Serious
More from Inquisitr