Contrary to popular belief, men are three times more likely than women to be the first in a relationship to say ‘I love you.’

This was among the findings of a Penn State University study, which interviewed 172 college students on their relationships. The researchers also determined that these weren’t just empty words, and that men typically fall in love in a matter of weeks, while it takes months for a woman to feel the same way.

The reason for this discrepancy shouldn’t be so surprising, either.

“It can be argued that men’s falling in love and exclaiming this love first may be a by-product of them equating love with sexual desire,” explained psychologist Marissa Harrison, who worked on the study. “But research shows passionate love and sexual desire are distinctly different mechanisms.”

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