Scientists have found out why women confess their love later than men

Men declare their love faster than women. This conclusion was reached by researchers who found that the difference is 15 days on average and is often influenced by subconscious factors.

Thus, scientists led by Dr. Christopher Watkins from the University of Aberdeen in Dundee (UK) found that men say "I love you" after an average of 108 days, compared to 123 days for women. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

The researchers found that men made the first move in six of the seven countries analyzed. The only exception was France, where both men and women were equally likely to be the first to declare their passion.

The researchers surveyed 1,092 women and 336 men about their current or recent relationships.

Respondents were asked when they started thinking about proposing, which partner did it first, how long it took, and how it was perceived.

The study found that men were more likely to think they were in love about 70 days after starting a new relationship - a full week earlier than their female partner.

Then it took another month to muster the courage to say "I love you," and both sexes were equally happy to hear these words.

Scientists have suggested that there are subconscious factors at work that depend on the ratio of men to women in the countries studied – Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

In places where there are more men than women, those men who were lucky enough to be in a relationship usually said "I love you" to stop a competing man. The study found that this is probably also done to speed up intimacy.

"Escalation of sexual intimacy (through declarations of love) is more likely in environments where men have more opportunities for sex and women are relatively more promiscuous," the researchers say.