Bloggers and busybodies are divided over whether age not the age difference between actress Jennifer Lawrence, 24, and musician Chris Martin, 37, automatically renders their relationship inappropriate.

Research finds that one well-known guideline may not work for everyone.

The rule is widely cited, but its origins are hard to pin down. The rule also appears in The Autobiography of Malcolm X. When Malcolm X met his future wife Betty Sanders, he interpreted dating fact that their ages fit the rule of seven dating a sign that they were destined for each other. Now, the half-your-age plus seven rule has entered the cultural lexicon.

But the rule of seven may not actually describe what people consider acceptable.

Who Is Too Young or Too Old for You to Date?

Ina team of Dutch social psychologists, rule by Bram P. Buunk of the University of Groningen, examined desired minimum and maximum age across different rule by approaching people in public spaces—railway stations, libraries, malls—and asking them anonymously what ages they would consider appropriate for five different levels of relationship: marriage, serious relationship, falling in love, casual sex, and sexual fantasies. They restricted their survey to people who fell within a year of five age groups: 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60, and asked a similar number of men 70 and more info You are using an outdated browser.

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