On Judging the Imagined and Unfamiliar

Across the board in Conley et al.'s studies, consensually nonmonogamous couples were judged to have relationships that were less rewarding and less desirable than those enjoyed by monogamous couples. Arguably, this occurred in part because the research participants confused nonmonogamy with boredom, exploitation, and jealousy—aversive states that can accompany, but that are not necessarily a component of, consensual nonmonogamy. Despite the ingenuity of Conley et al., they may not have examined respondents’ perceptions of loving, satisfying, genuinely consensual nonmonogamy.