Forget the brooding bad boy with a leather jacket and a tortured soul. According to a new scientific study, the key to finding a reliable, faithful partner might lie in seeking out a man with sharp problem-solving skills and a knack for spotting patterns.
The Science of the Steady Partner
Researchers at Oakland University in the United States have proposed a novel concept: a 'boyfriend test' based on cognitive abilities. The team, led by data analyst and social scientist Gavin Vance, analysed 202 heterosexual men who had been in relationships for at least six months.
Their findings, published in December 2025, revealed a significant correlation. Men who excelled at a specific type of intelligence—identifying patterns in sequences of numbers and letters—tended to be more dependable partners. They were less likely to take risks outside their relationship, more likely to stay faithful, and displayed fewer jealous, controlling, or insulting behaviours. The study also noted these men exhibited fewer psychopathic traits.
Why We Choose Wrong
This research directly challenges the romantic archetypes popularised by culture, from Chuck Bass in Gossip Girl to Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries. The allure of the emotionally unavailable 'hot mess' persists, and science suggests it may be steering women away from better matches.
This dilemma is compounded by another recent study. Research published in the Journal of Research in Personality in November 2025, which analysed 3,780 adults across Australia, Denmark, and Sweden, found that nicer, more agreeable men were less likely to have a romantic partner. Meanwhile, assertive, extroverted men were significantly more successful in finding relationships.
"An assertive, extroverted man may get positive responses when approaching potential partners, while an assertive woman might face ambivalence or negativity," explained the study's co-author, Filip Fors Connolly, an associate professor at Umea University in Sweden.
The Future of Digital Matchmaking
So, how can one navigate this bias and find a partner with reliable, analytical traits? The answer may lie in evolving technology. In a digital dating landscape increasingly integrated with artificial intelligence, the concept of a formalised 'partner test' is becoming less far-fetched.
Bumble's CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd highlighted AI's potential in a recent interview, stating, "Where AI is brilliant is that it can learn patterns... it can then scan hundreds of profiles if not more and it can say, 'Hey, I think you should meet this person because they have similar values.'"
The idea is even the subject of a new film, All of You, directed by William Bridges, which explores a world where a company pairs life partners via a single test. While we may be years away from such precise algorithmic matchmaking, the Oakland University study offers immediate, practical advice: consider giving the quiet, analytical 'maths nerd' a chance over the poet dreaming of a band.
It is crucial to note that Vance's team stressed their study is correlational and cannot prove cause and effect, and was based on a relatively small sample. However, the premise invites a fascinating rethink of what makes a lasting partner. With that in mind, here are five questions to consider for your own informal 'boyfriend test':
- Have you ever ghosted someone or left them on 'read' for over 48 hours (excluding genuine emergencies)?
- What is your experience with therapy or self-reflection?
- Have you ever labelled an ex 'crazy' without examining your own role in the breakup?
- Do you use grand gestures like poetry to avoid clear, direct communication?
- What is your profession, and what does it say about your lifestyle and stability?
The lesson is clear: when seeking a partner for the long term, it might be wise to value a steady, problem-solving mind over a dramatic, unpredictable heart.
