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submitted 9 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/245634594_Chains_of_Affection_The_Structure_of_Adolescent_Romantic_and_Sexual_Networks1

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[-] EfreetSK@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago

This is actually very interresting. I always found it hard to understand how some people can have so many sexual partners, and then there are people with very few of sexual partners. I had this theory that there must be some subculture of people who are really into this, date eachother in this group which causes their number to increase abnormally. It was just a silly theory but this sort of supports it?

[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 35 points 9 months ago

If you look at this a little closer, you'll notice that there aren't actually that many highly connected nodes.
The big structure is mostly composed of single link chains.

[-] EfreetSK@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

Hmm you're right, I thought the big circle was more interconnected. Actually it's a bit weird that there are basically no crossing lines

[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 11 points 9 months ago

Elsewhere it was mentioned that the researchers were also surprised by that, and did followup interviews that revealed that it was against social rules to date your exes partners ex. Basically two couples can't "swap" partners. I thought it was interesting that you didn't see that, but you do see a few triangles.

[-] petersr@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

And that's even more interesting. As someone who was not part of any of the graph in high school / college, how would a big link of chains play out in real time?

Like "The Mary and Tom met at a party. Next week Tom stumbled into Lucy by the lockers..."

I find it hard to imagine.