It's often regarded as the ultimate depiction of single life.
But a new study suggests that Sex and the City got it wrong – most singletons aren't outgoing extraverts like Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte.
Instead, researchers from the University of Toronto say that the majority of single people are actually introverts.
'In a world that caters to extroverts, introverts are misrepresented as antisocial,' said Elaine Hoan, lead author of the study.
'The reality is, introverts enjoy their alone time and independence, and can emotionally regulate—meaning, they can manage their reactions to their feelings on their own. So, an introvert may prefer being single more than being in a relationship.'
It's often regarded as the ultimate depiction of single life. But a new study suggests that Sex and the City got it wrong – most singletons aren't outgoing extraverts like Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte
In their study, the team set out to understand whether or not our personality traits can predict if we're single or in a relationship.
Over 1,800 participants aged 20-59 were enlisted, who had either been single or in a relationship for at least six months.
The participants completed questionnaires that measured their personality, satisfaction with relationship status, sexual satisfaction, and life satisfaction.
The results revealed that introverted participants were more likely to be single.
'Extroverts are happier than introverts in general—regardless of whether they were single or not—and introversion makes it a bit tougher to get into a relationship in the first place because introverts may not find themselves in social situations as often,' Ms Hoan said.
Researchers from the University of Toronto say that the majority of single people are actually introverts (stock image)
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Advertisement'Other existing research also suggests that being in a relationship may make someone more extroverted, by increasing confidence and widening their social circle.'
The researchers also found links between conscientiousness, neuroticism, and relationships status.
Single people were less likely agree with descriptors like 'keeps things neat and tidy' and 'gets things done'.
In addition, they agreed more with phrases like 'can be tense', 'often feels sad' and 'is temperamental'.
'Conscientious people are more likely to be goal-oriented, especially towards traditional goals like getting a job and getting married, as well as exhibit a strong work ethic, so that may feed into their desire and ability to start and commit to a romantic relationship,' Ms Hoan said.
'Depressive symptoms like sadness and low energy may make it more difficult to pursue and maintain a relationship—while the emotional support you get in a romantic relationship could reduce these symptoms.'
The researchers hope the findings will help to remove the stigma around being single.
'There is stigma associated with being single—you know, people saying, "You'd be happier if you were in a relationship, so why aren't you?"—when that's not necessarily true for everyone,' Ms Hoan added.
'I hope what people take from our research is the idea that you don't have to be someone you're not—just be yourself.'
