Of course, theories like this often perpetuate sexist stereotypes that women are obsessive fantasists who are desperate to find a man, whereas men are generally more laissez-faire about the whole thing because they’re the ones in a position of power. That said, outdated gender roles undeniably still play a part in how we sometimes behave romantically – often unconsciously. “From a young age, these stereotypes suggest that girls should be looking for love,” explains counsellor Georgina Sturmer. “We’re taught, through various media, that romantic love, a fairytale prince or a knight in shining armour will offer us a sense of ‘completeness’. So, as we go through life, it’s likely that women are conditioned to seek out signs of romantic love from their partners more than men.”

It also boils down to emotional literacy, which again is something women are likely to be better at than men from a very young age. “Girls and women in our society are encouraged to tune into their emotions and be open. Therefore, we may indeed feel love and report experiences of love more than men,” says counsellor Laila Hamade of the Counselling Directory. “Stereotypically, women are also encouraged to be nurturing, empathetic and caring; men, however, are typically praised for being independent, which can inform how we behave in relationships.” This form of conditioning has been supported by research, with one 2014 study finding that females exhibit higher rates of empathy in infancy than males through various forms such as contagious crying and general social interest and sensitivity.

It’s worth noting that the Carnegie Mellon study also found that while women are more likely to report an experience of love, they are also more likely to report an ensuing sense of disappointment. “In some ways, this feels like a natural progression, the highs that follow the lows,” adds Sturmer, who has seen this play out with clients for many years. “I’m not sure if this is a recent phenomenon; it’s likely we are talking more openly and honestly about things not going as we’d hoped.”

It points to wider communication issues, too, with men and women following different paths in the same relationship, perhaps unbeknown to one another. “Even when I do feel like I’m falling for someone, I find it hard to be upfront about that,” says Ellie. “To be honest, I’m worried about scaring anyone off.”

This, Preece says, is fairly standard and is something he saw happening with Cleo. “To overcome it, we focused on building communication bridges and learning how to enjoy the moment and be patient with her partner,” he explains. “By taking things slower and talking things through, they are now both very happy and mutually in love. No matter who falls in love first, the most important thing is that it’s genuine.” We couldn’t agree more.

Why doesn’t he love you yet? Blame the ‘love-gap’ for that awkward imbalance in your relationships