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Study: Opposites Don't Attract Long-Term Relationships

Santa Monica, Calif. (CBS SACRAMENTO) -- Analysis from an online dating website's compatibility features finds that opposites do not, in fact, attract.

Data researched from online site eHarmony's Compatibility Matching System shows that similarity between partners is the ticket to a long-term relationship. The study of thousands of couples found that although opposites may initially be attracted to each other, an inevitable "attack" period follows in which the two become frustrated by their differences.

One primary factor is the inability of the "opposite" couples to settle disputes in an equal matter rather than in a dominant, submissive-type paradigm.

"While they may occasionally clash, they'll do so as equals and ultimately the relationship will be healthier," write the researchers.

The study showed that opposites would "only attract for a short time" due to intriguing and exciting differences to be explored between the two partners.

The dating site, eHarmony.com, is a Santa Monica, Calif.-based company which launched in 2000 and now operates in more than 150 countries around the globe. A June 2013 report from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) stated that couples who met online were more satisfied than others.

The study suggests that those seeking long-term relationships should look for compatibility in a prospective person's character, rather than the fleeting gratification offered by very different individuals.

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