Gaby
What matters most when choosing a partner? People of both genders often wonder this while searching for someone to share their life with. There’s a saying: men fall for what they see, women for what they hear. Researchers have tried to find out whether men and women really perceive potential partners differently.
Aesthetics of Beauty or Financial Stability?
Many films and books—especially romantic ones—tell stories of women dreaming of marrying wealthy men. A new study suggests there may be some truth to that stereotype.
While women are generally more romantic than men, they also tend to be pragmatic. That’s why they often prefer financially stable partners over dreamers and storytellers.
A research team led by Meike Scheller found that women’s top priorities are a man’s social status and financial prospects. The team says women plan long-term relationships only with men who meet those criteria, according to the Daily Mail.
Researchers say that women typically invest more in relationships than men do. Also, women’s reproductive years are relatively limited. This is why they tend to be more selective and approach choosing a partner with great care. “They cannot afford to take risks,” Dr. Steven White notes.
Men, on the other hand, focus more on physical appearance and primarily assess a partner’s attractiveness. Social status and financial prospects matter less to men than to women. In short, men often “love with their eyes,” while women’s choices aren’t driven only by what they hear.
Sexual Energy Influences Partner Choice
In their research, Scheller’s team also looked at whether sexual attraction affects partner selection. It is believed that each person has certain traits that draw them to a partner; for some people, high intelligence is more appealing than physical appearance.
To determine how sex drive influences the choice of a significant other, Scheller’s team studied two groups of participants, each made up of both men and women.
The first group included 310 participants with low libido. The second group consisted of 166 participants with high libido. During the survey, researchers gathered information about the intensity of sexual and romantic attraction in these individuals, as well as their partner preferences.
The study found that more sexually active men prefer physical attractiveness and intelligence in potential partners. By contrast, women with high libido are more attracted to serious partners with financial prospects.
These preferences were less pronounced in the group with low sexual desire. The research shows that women for whom sex is not a significant factor place greater importance on intelligence and education in a potential partner. Physical attractiveness, social status, and financial prospects play a minor role for them. Men with low sexual desire placed less importance on most partner characteristics, except for social status and financial prospects.
A Small “But” That Could Alter the Final Choice
The findings indicate that sexual attraction plays a key role in partner selection. Overall, this research shows that men and women view the most desirable qualities in a potential partner differently, and that those choices are partly influenced by the strength of sexual and romantic attraction.
But can we completely dismiss love as a feeling that knows no bounds and clouds our judgment, leading us to choose a partner who doesn’t match our ideal? That’s another question—one each person can answer for themselves, with or without extensive research.
