Modern Australian

Mind the gap – does age difference in relationships matter?

  • Written by Gery Karantzas, Associate professor in Social Psychology / Relationship Science, Deakin University

Romantic couples with a large age gap often raise eyebrows. Studies have found partners with more than a ten-year gap in age experience social disapproval. But when it comes to our own relationships, both men and women prefer someone their own age, but are open to someone 10-15 years their junior or senior.

While there is variation across cultures...