18 Nov 2025 12:00
Why Single Women Are Happier than Single Men, with Elaine Hoan
Episode: Why Single Women Are Happier than Single Men, with Elaine HoanGuest: Elaine Hoan, PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Forget the “sad cat lady” cliché. In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with researcher Elaine Hoan about her new study showing that single women are, on average, happier than single men. They explore what that says about modern love, independence, and the pressure to couple up.
In this episode:
- What sparked Elaine’s interest in studying singlehood and well-being
- How she actually measured happiness, satisfaction, and sex without making it weird
- Why women report more contentment and autonomy in singlehood
- What traditional masculinity has to do with men’s lower happiness scores
- How cultural expectations shape who thrives alone
- Whether singlehood could use a total rebrand
- And the advice Elaine gives to anyone feeling the “you should be partnered” pressure
Read Elaine's full study here and check out her and her team's lab here.
Elaine Hoan is a PhD researcher in Experimental Psychology at the University of Toronto where she uses surveys and various statistical models to examine the lives of single and partnered individuals. She studies the broad question of who is more likely to be happy single or in a romantic relationship.
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