New study reveals what people find attractive
Reseerchers at Chapman University ran a long-term study on what traits men and women find attractive. A total of nearly 28,000 heterosexual participants ages 18 to 75 years completed the surveys.
This research supports the long-held belief that people with desirable traits have a stronger “bargaining hand” and can be more selective when choosing romantic partners, but it also challenges other commonly held mating beliefs. The studies examined how heterosexual mate preferences differed according to a person’s gender, age, personal income, education and appearance satisfaction.
Here are some of the findings broken down by category:
Gender Differences: Specifically, the study revealed that men and women differed in the percentage indicating:
Good looks are preferred by 92% of men and 84% of women.
Slender bodies are preferred by 80% of men and 58% of women
A steady income attracts 97% of women and 74% of men
And the potential of making a lot of money lures in 47% of the men and 69% of the women
There were also gender differences in whether it was ‘very important/a must have’ that their partner made at least as much money as they do (24% of men, 46% of women) and had a successful career (M 33% of men, 61% of women), but not in whether their partner was physically attractive to them (40% of men, 42% of women).
Confidence in Physical Attractiveness:
People who like the way they looked prefer good looking and slender partners as well. They don’t have stronger preferences for a partner who is physically attractive to them.
Income:
People with higher incomes are looking for good looking partners — and this was true for both men and women. Men with higher incomes showed stronger preferences for women with slender bodies. Wealthier women had stronger preferences for men who had a steady income or made lots of money.
Education:
Men with more education had stronger preferences for female partners who are good looking and slender; however for both men and women, education level was not related to preferences for steady income or making a lot of money.
Age:
Older men and women had weaker preferences for a partner they find physically attractive, who make as much money as they do, and who has a successful career.
