Camille Naredo

Eco-friendly decorations adorn parts of the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City ahead of Valentine's Day. The decorations are made using cut wood from previous storms. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Eco-friendly decorations adorn parts of the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City ahead of Valentine's Day. The decorations are made using cut wood from previous stoms. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Eco-Friendly Valentines Decor

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174512964984320250213-qmc-vday-decorations-MD-5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Eco-friendly decorations adorn parts of the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City ahead of Valentine&#x27;s Day. The decorations are made using cut wood from previous storms. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File"/>Eco-friendly decorations adorn parts of the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City ahead of Valentine&#x27;s Day. The decorations are made using cut wood from previous storms. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA — &quot;Time heals all wounds,&quot; as the saying goes — but just how long does it really take to move on from a former romantic partner? A new study suggests that for some people, it could take anywhere from four to eight years to let go of a past relationship.Such was the finding that emerged <a class="fr-green" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/19485506251323624">in a study</a> conducted by Jia Chong and R. Chris Fraley of the University of Illinois, which was published in the journal &quot;Social Psychological and Personality Science&quot; last March.&quot;Results indicate that, for the average person, attachment bonds are gradually (4.18 years as a mid-point) relinquished after relationship termination,&quot; the authors wrote in the study&#x27;s abstract. &quot;People’s former partners simply become someone they used to know.&quot;This means that for some people, it can take around four years to reach &quot;a point at which they are halfway to relinquishing&quot; their attachment to a former partner, indicating that emotional bonds with past partners do not immediately fade completely.The study challenges the idea that emotional recovery from a romantic split is a quick process, the authors noted, highlighting that it can can take several years for individuals to fully detach from their former partners.&quot;It has been commonly assumed that people recover relatively quickly after a romantic loss such that they are expected to return to their usual daily functioning soon afterward,&quot; they said. &quot;But these data suggest that the ex-partner still plays a significant role in attachment dynamics, even if a subtle one, long after the relationship ends.&quot;In conducting their study, Chong and Fraley sought to look into what happens to an individual&#x27;s &quot;attachment bond&quot; after the end of a relationship. The researchers recruited 328 participants who had been with their ex-partner for about 4.6 years and broke up around five years prior to answering the study&#x27;s survey, which asked them to rate certain characteristics or feelings about both their ex-partner and a stranger.The authors also identified several factors that contribute to continued attachment to former partners, including ongoing contact and shared parenthood.&quot;Overall, people who were in contact with their ex-partners were more likely to continue using that person for attachment-related functions,&quot; they wrote.&quot;We also examined whether people had children with their ex-partners. Those who had children with their ex-partners tended to start with higher levels of attachment to their ex-partners, but those levels decayed faster compared with people who did not have children with their ex-partners,&quot; they added.The research also found that gender did not play a role in continued attachment to former partners. Moreover, individuals who &quot;desire to continue the relationship&quot; were more likely to remain emotionally attached.

A new study suggests it could take years before a person could fully move on from their ex.

A new study suggests it could take years before a person could fully move on from their ex.

Getting over an ex? New study answers how long it could possibly take

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Getting over an ex? New study answers how long it could possibly take

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern,

Fritz Aranda

Published April 20, 2025 02:36 PM PHT

Read More:

psychology

romance

relationships

moving on

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