How Open Are Westerners to Multi-Partner Marriages?

Interest in polygamy exists despite a cultural taboo.

• Polygamy (having multiple spouses) has been an enduring fixture of human mating, leaving a mark on our mating psychology.
• We can see evidence of this today in how modern humans approach polygamy.
• New research shows that interest in polygamy exists in the UK, despite people being socialized otherwise.

From marriage to friends with benefits, intimate relationships come in different varieties. Recently, a polyamorous wave has spread over the Western world, with increased discussion around, and interest in, multi-partner relationships.

One type of multi-partner relationship is polygamy, whereby one person has multiple spouses. The most common form is polygyny, where a man marries several women and, according to anthropological records, 85% of human cultures permit it.

How Open Are Westerners to Multi-Partner Marriages?