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Beyond social structures: An evolutionary network perspective on gendered romantic dependency

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2026

Zahra Ayeh Solouki  and
Thorbjørn Knudsen Open the ORCID record for Thorbjørn Knudsen [Opens in a new window]
Zahra Ayeh Solouki
Affiliation:
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Frankfurt/Main, Germany ayeh.soluki@gmail.com T.Knudsen@fs.de
Thorbjørn Knudsen*
Affiliation:
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Frankfurt/Main, Germany ayeh.soluki@gmail.com T.Knudsen@fs.de
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

We argue that male romantic dependency reflects a strategic response to structurally constrained emotional encounters, shaped by both evolutionary network dynamics and media-driven gender norms. Building on Wahring et al., we incorporate theories of population viscosity, reciprocal altruism, and media analysis to show how men’s intimacy is centralized, women’s is distributed, and emotional asymmetries are sustained.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e127
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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