ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Evolutionary Psychology
When Love Ends: Individual Characteristics Associated with Breakups
Provisionally accepted
David Emmanuel Smedslund Føinum*
Lars Lotsberg VindedalSimon RøsdalMagnus Alkan Fagerhol
Ståle Pallesen
Eilin Kristine Erevik- Universitetet i Bergen Institutt for samfunnspsykologi, Bergen, Norway
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The current study aimed to identify demographic, personality, and substance-use characteristics associated with romantic relationship breakups among students. Data was gathered from a survey conducted among students in the Bergen municipality, Norway, during autumn 2015 (T1) and from a follow-up wave conducted one year later (T2). The current total sample consisted of the 2,191 students (age 35 and younger) who reported to be in a relationship (but not married) at T1 and who participated in both waves. Data was analysed using binary logistic regressions. For comparison reasons, three analyses were conducted, two for each gender separately, and one including interaction effects between genders. While age was identified as an inverse predictor of breakups for men, and agreeableness was identified as an inverse predictor of breakups for women, low statistical power, and a lack of gender interaction effects, imply that findings should be interpreted with caution. Future research should ensure a higher statistical power by considering employing a larger sample size, as well as including predictors residing outside the individual, such as partner compatibility, environment, and life circumstances.
Keywords: audit, Big Five, breakup, Marital Status, parental status
Received: 04 Dec 2025; Accepted: 05 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Føinum, Vindedal, Røsdal, Fagerhol, Pallesen and Erevik. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: David Emmanuel Smedslund Føinum
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