Men choose romance over careers?

The notion that women are the soppiest when it comes to relationships could be wide of the mark, as a new study suggests that men are more committed to finding romance.

Research conducted by US scientists found that men may be more likely to sacrifice personal goals and achievements in favour of a romantic relationship.

Catherine Mosher of Duke Medical Center and Sharon Danoff-Burg from the University of Albany questioned 237 students on their personalities and what they hoped to achieve in life.

When asked what they would prioritise out of a relationship, a career, education and travelling, the male respondents were found to be more likely to choose the relationship than women.

According to the study, around 35 per cent of men chose romance over their career, while just 20 per cent of women would do the same.

But the results could be open to interpretation. Daniel Kruger, social and evolutionary sociologist at the University of Michigan, told LiveScience: "It is ambiguous what this romantic relationship means."

Mr Kruger, who did not take part in the research, added: "Is this an investment in a relationship that marriage and having children would take, or are guys seeing this as basically a mating opportunity?"

The findings will be published in the journal Gender Issues.