EvoS Journal: The Journal of the Evolutionary Studies Consortium
Volume 10, Special Issue 1, 2018
Title
Hi, My Name is Wealthy: Women’s Dating Behaviors in Relation to the Perceived Wealth of Perspective Mates
Author(s)
Hunter, H., Hill, T., Reid, G., Bourgeois, C., Tiller, A., & Fisher, M. L.
Abstract
It has been cross-culturally documented that women exhibit a preference for mates who possess resources or traits that signal potential wealth. The majority of this literature relies on self reported mate preferences. Here we report on two experiments to test whether women’s willingness to date men is actually influenced by their perceived wealth. Online dating profiles were created to present photographs of men and information about their current bank account status (Study 1), or to indirectly indicate their level of wealth (Study 2). In Study 1, the faces were presented with alternating high and low bank account balances. We hypothesized that women who viewed men with high bank account values would evaluate them as more desirable than women who viewed men with low bank account values. That is, they would be more likely to engage with him in an online conversation, meet with him for a casual coffee, accept an invitation of a date, consider him for a one-night stand, consider him for a short term relationship, or consider him for a long-term relationship. It was also hypothesized that women would rate the men with high bank account balances as more physically attractive than the men with the low bank account balances. The results generally do not support the hypotheses. In Study 2, we replaced bank account balances with indirect indicators of wealth. Our results indicate that women were significantly less interested in wealthier men as compared to poorer men, possibly because the wealthy men may be perceived as bragging. Together, these studies suggest men’s wealth may not be as important to women as has been previously considered, but further research is needed.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.59077/BHPT5898
How to cite this article:
Hunter, H., Hill, T., Reid, G., Bourgeois, C., Tiller, A., & Fisher, M. L. (2019). Hi, my name is wealthy: Women’s dating behaviors in relation to the perceived wealth of perspective mates. The Journal of the Evolutionary Studies Consortium, 10, Sp. Iss. (1), 88-105.
