Rebound Relationships Are Actually A Good Thing, Says Science

They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else -- and now there's scientific proof to back that up.

In a new study, researchers from Queens College and the University of Illinois surveyed 313 young adults -- some single and other in relationships -- to determine how rebound relationships affect personal recovery following a breakup. Their results were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

What they found is that participants who had stayed single for a shorter amount of time recovered faster from their breakups than those who waited longer to enter into another relationship or had not yet found another partner.

Specifically, those who rebounded with other people reported higher self-esteem, higher dating confidence, higher confidence in their romantic desirability and were not as hung up on their ex.

"This suggests that having a new partner may effectively serve the purpose of allowing people to more quickly get over their ex, even when the breakup occurred recently," the researchers wrote in the study. "Compared with those who remained single, people who had begun dating again were generally better off ... Because dating individuals already demonstrated that they had the ability to attract another partner, their confidence may have been higher than singles who could have more uncertainty about their romantic future and ability to find a mate."

While the sample size is small, the researchers note that 77 of the participants in the study were followed both during their relationship and through the breakup stage, giving them insight into their emotional well being before and after the split.

What do you think of the results -- is rebounding the best way to heal or it just a temporary band-aid?

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