Ideal Dating Age Calculator

How to better ensure that your relationships are successful.

Rebecca Hinds
Developing Data Products Course Assignment

Why use the Ideal Age Calculator?

  1. Healthy relationships have been linked to longer lifespans. According to Dan Buettner, committing to a life partner can add 3 years to life expectancy.

  2. People with strong relationships are more likely to have better health. According to research conducted by Sheldon Cohel, college students with stong relationships are 1/2 as lifely to catch a common cold when exposed to the virus.

  3. Lower risk of depression. Several studies have shown that people with stronger relationships tend to have lower risk for depression.

Did these celebrities follow the ideal age calculator?

Michael Douglas (69). Partner (Catherine Zeta-Jones) age: 44

Lower bound (Yes!) [1] 42

Angelina Jolie (39). Partner (Brad Pitt) age: 50

Upper bound (Yes!) [1] 64

Marie-Kate Olsen (28). Partner (Olivier Sarkozy) age: 45

Upper bound (No!) [1] 42

Pros and Cons of Dating Older Partners

The Ideal Age calculator can be incredibly useful in helping you avoid disasterous dating/marriage outcomes. However, there are cerntain reasons why you may or may not want to date people who fall closer to the upper bound identified by the calculator.

Pros

  • More mature
  • More relationship experience
  • More financially stable
  • More chivalrous
  • Better life perspective

Cons

  • Less energy/stamina
  • More likely to have wrinkles
  • Higher risk for health issues
  • More "baggage" and preconceived notions about women/relationships
  • More likely to be mistaken for your mother/father

Further reading

The inspiration for this presentation came from this May 2014 Psychology Today article.

Be sure to check out the George Clooney case study!