Dimensional Preference in Voluntary Pair-Bonding: A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Affective Stability in Two-Dimensional Versus Four-Dimensional Romantic Targets
Komarkov N, Saburova IR.
Journal of Applied Attachment Geometry. 2026;9(2):e0201-e0219.
Two-dimensional targets produced near-zero satisfaction variance (σ² = 0.02; one respondent reported his partner had 'looked exactly the same since 2009'), whereas four-dimensional targets generated a mean of 41.2 unscheduled surprise events per quarter (95% CI 39–43). Stated preference for 2D over 4D was strong and monotone (r = 0.94, p < 0.049, barely). On every assessed axis — predictability, availability, silence on request, and stability of canonical appearance — 2D was non-inferior to 4D. The single axis favouring 4D was corporeal presence, which a minority of respondents (n = 3, two of whom were the researcher's cat) flagged as material.
PMID: 81472026 · Cited by 3,120 ·Original Research