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You can expect an intelligent partner to also achieve academic prominence, success at work, or even higher socioeconomic status. However, recent research published in the journal Personality and individual differences suggests some unexpected benefits to partnerships with smart men.

Researchers Vance, DeLeccee, and Shackelford (2024) surveyed more than 200 heterosexual men between the ages of 18 and 65 who were in their current state. romantic relationships for at least six months or more. These men completed the International Cognitive Ability Resource to assess their general intelligence. As part of this measure, men also completed a fluid reasoning task to assess their ability to answer novel problems (such as which letter or number might follow a series of letters or numbers). Men also completed several other measures assessing constructs such as jealousy, aggression against their partners, sexual coercion, sexual dysfunction and investment in their relationships.

The researchers found that men’s intelligence in general, and their performance on the fluid reasoning task in particular, was associated with fewer negative behaviors toward their romantic partners. For example, more intelligent men were less likely to report insulting their partners or using coercive techniques to pressure their partners into sex. Men’s intelligence was also negatively related to their self-reports of erectile dysfunction. In addition, men’s intelligence was positively associated with more favorable treatment by their partners. For example, men who scored higher on the fluid intelligence measure reported being more invested in their current relationship partners and more committed.

As the authors report, in previous research, higher fluid intelligence scores have been associated with an improved ability to perceive the emotions of others and manage one’s own emotions. The authors speculate that higher fluid intelligence might allow men to more effectively control negative behavioral impulses or respond more appropriately to their partner’s needs.

The authors note several limitations of the current study. Due to the correlational design of the project, the researchers could not draw causal conclusions about the effects of men’s intelligence on the quality of their relationships. Also, due to the use of heterosexual men as participants, it is unclear whether these results would generalize to women or men in of the same sex partnerships. Another limitation of the research is that participants only provided self-reports of their behavior toward their partners. Future research should examine women’s reports of their partners’ behavior to verify the results of the current study.