New study reveals words of affirmation as Brit’s preferred love language

New research from the sexual wellness experts at Sinful, has looked into how Brits feel about relationships, intimacy and sex by surveying 2,000 Brits

A third (35%) of Brits say they prefer their partner to express their love through words of affirmation such as compliments and recognition

Eight in ten say intimacy is important for a well-functioning relationship.

Love is expressed in many ways, from the rom-com stereotypes of flowers and passion, showing your desire in the bedroom, and even the more mundane tasks in life such as doing the dishes. But, which of the five love languages are most popular among Brits?

To find out just that, a new study of 2,000 Brits by sexual wellness experts at Sinful,¹ has looked into the UK’s attitudes to sex and intimacy within relationships, in order to inspire conversations between couples – both in and out of the bedroom.

A third of Brits say they prefer words of affirmation as their love language

How do you prefer your partner to express their love for you?	All	Men	Women
With appreciative words, e g compliments and recognition	35%	32%	38%
With attention and time, e g   when you spend quality time together or go on a date	27%	23%	32%
With physical touches e g kisses and hugs	24%	32%	16%
With small favours, e g   your partner doing the dishes or grocery-shopping on the way home	8%	5%	11%
With presents, e g flowers	3%	3%	3%
Other	1%	1%	1%
I do not know / I do not want to answer	3%	5%	1%

When it comes to how Brits prefer their partner to express their love over a third (35%) say they prefer their love to be expressed by appreciative words (or words of affirmation) such as compliments or recognition. Touchingly, over half (55%) of the UK tell their partner they love them every day!

Quality time (27%) and physical touch (24%) also ranked in the top three with around a quarter of Brits preferring their partner to express their love in this way. In fact, 56–70-year-olds are twice as likely than 18–30-year-olds to prefer their partners to show their love with physical touches such as kisses and hugs – demonstrating desire can grow all the more stronger with age!

Surprisingly, just one in ten (8%) Brits prefer acts of service such as your partner doing the dishes, or grocery-shopping on the way home. Receiving gifts such as flowers ranks the lowest with less than one in 20 Brits preferring to have love expressed in this way. – therefore, taking that little extra time to plan a night of intimacy may just make your partner feel loved and appreciated!

Eight in 10 say intimacy is extremely important for a well-functioning relationship

Physical touches can ramp up from hugs to foreplay, but just how important is intimacy to a healthy and happy relationship? Well, according to the study eight in 10 say intimacy is either important or extremely important for a well-functioning relationship.

Switching the conversation up to sex, seven in 10 of the respondents also said that it was extremely important or important in a relationship too. However, one in four find it difficult to talk about sex within a relationship, with nine in 10 stating that discussing the topic with your partner is key to a good sex life.

Speaking on conversations about intimacy Mathilde Mackowski, founder of Sinful, states:

“The conversation about intimacy and sex is hugely important. When we are curious about each other, the desire to play grows – and with play comes a passion for life. Both as individuals and as couples.”

Let’s talk about sex

To help Brits find their voices and take their sex lives to new heights, Sinful, Europe’s leading sex toy company, is now presenting the ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ campaign. In addition, Sinful will be launching their new international study, ‘Sindex by Sinful’ – something that Mathilde Mackowski has been looking forward to with great anticipation:

“We want to show the British that they are not alone with their unspoken thoughts, habits and challenges, and we hope that the study can inspire both light and heavy conversations – in society and at home in the living room,” she says.

For more information about Sindex by Sinful, please visit: https://www.sindexbysinful.com/en/uk