If you're already planning for Valentine's Day and looking for a lovers' paradise — or really just looking to find love — then you might want to consider visiting these places deemed the best states for lovers.
The research titled, "Is Virginia for lovers? Geographic variation in adult attachment orientation," ranked the 10 best and worst places for lovers. Virginia fares in the middle of the list.
The study shows that there is a higher chance of developing positive relationships in the states of Mississippi, Utah, and Wisconsin. You might, however, reconsider looking for love in North Dakota, New York, and Indiana.
Not All High Scores Make For Good Grades
The study conducted by William Chopik, assistant psychology professor at Michigan State University, and his coauthor Matt Motyl, reveals the states that actually matched certain stereotypes.
The research, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, tested more than 127,000 adults from all states, and measured two key factors in a relationship: attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Attachment anxiety is described as the constant worry over being left by one's partner, while attachment avoidance is described as the tendency to be cold and distant toward one's partner.
Getting high scores on both factors is a sign of problem in most relationships, and the results of the study showed North Dakota is the worst state for lovers.
The following states also scored high on attachment anxiety and avoidance: Kentucky, Kansas, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Ohio, South Carolina, Colorado, New York, and Indiana.
"When I think of New York, I think of the anxious Woody Allen type, and New York had one of the highest scores for attachment anxiety," Chopik said.
Relationship Status In The States
It's no longer just a stereotype. Now, there's scientific evidence that some geography-based stereotypes are related to the behavior of a region's inhabitants.
The states scoring low on both factors tend to have more positive relationships. Mississippi, Utah, and Wisconsin hold bragging rights with a triple tie at number one. The states of Vermont, Alaska, North Carolina, Delaware, Minnesota, and Oregon followed.
California, Maine, and Washington also tied at 10th place.
The researchers also note several other factors that may affect a person's behavior, such as living in secluded mountainous areas, temperature, and weather conditions.
While the research provided for the best and worst states for lovers, Chopik and Motyl still believe that positive relationships are found everywhere regardless of time and place. They concluded that, "After all, home is where the heart is."
