In many cultures, women tend to prefer partners with financial resources. Men tend to prioritize youth and physical beauty. New findings provide evidence that the traditional tendency for women to prefer wealthier partners might fade as women gain more economic power.
Women’s desire for wealthy partners drops when they have more economic power
15 Comments
Women’s desire for wealthy partners drops when they have more economic power.
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that what people look for in a romantic partner changes depending on their financial situation and the broader economic equality between men and women. The findings provide evidence that the traditional tendency for women to prefer wealthier partners might fade as women gain more economic power. This adaptability points to a high level of flexibility in human romantic desires.
For decades, scientists have debated why men and women often prioritize different traits in romantic partners. In many cultures, women tend to prefer partners with financial resources. Men tend to prioritize youth and physical beauty.
Some scientists argue that these differences stem from human evolution. This perspective suggests that ancient survival needs shaped modern minds. Because ancestral women faced the physical demands of pregnancy and nursing, they may have evolved to seek partners who could provide material resources.
Other scientists suggest these preferences are the result of cultural expectations. This perspective proposes that the traditional division of labor between men as providers and women as homemakers created these desires. According to this view, people simply adapt to the roles society assigns them.
Past research on this topic has mostly relied on observing natural differences across various countries. These observational methods have led to heavy disagreement because many cultural and economic factors are mixed together in the real world. For instance, wealthier women might report different preferences, but they also tend to live in wealthier, more equal societies.
For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2527295123
Isn’t this simply the logical outcome if you grant the premise? If ‘women’ gain more economic power, ‘men’ lose some economic power. If you assume people date at the same rate as pre-shift, isn’t this outcome certain?
>“When women made more money than men, both men and women were equally interested in ‘mating up’ financially,” Murphy told PsyPost.
Doesn’t this quote from the article go directly against the final sentence of OP?
I remember that Anesthesiologist friend of a friend who now makes $800k now and wants a husband who makes more than her.
That is on top of other criteria. Oh lady, statistics are not on your side. All those guys got married long ago (or have severe personality defects.)
Edit: Bringing this anecdote back into science discourse. Social norms and expectations often move more slowly than material and economic reality. So we witness contradictions that are confounding.
As women are replaced by men with robots.
and bears poop in the woods
If you create a society where women are financially dependent on men, they prefer men with good finances. Who would’ve thought! I’m glad we’re slowly leaving that age behind
“might fade”… im sorry but is the writer living in the past?
Imo it’s not women preference fading but likely men don’t prefer women with money and less time.
If the guy is already rich, won’t he prefer someone who has time as he doesn’t need the money?
Male MD here, I make very decent money. I have been fortunate and/or lucky enough to date some women who made considerably more than me. It was never weird or uncomfortable for me. Funny enough, my last 3 GFs have been older than me. They were each beautiful and lovely people.
So you’re telling me there’s a chance?
I’m a personal trainer with a wife that makes 3x my income (thank God)
I’m the arm candy in the relationship
I’ve always made more than the guys I was with. I like not being dependent on a man.
>tendency for women to prefer wealthier partners might fade
But it doesn’t completely go away. On average, women still don’t pair up with the ones who earn less. It just that the financial requirement goes up in numbers.
They won’t.
Hypergamy (or however you want to call it PC) will just accelerate. Not enough financially attractive men for all the financially successful women, so they’ll start sharing men, like some already do.