As Men Get Richer, They See Their Partners as Less Attractive, Study Finds

March 23, 2016

While some people would argue that money can’t buy happiness, having tons of money can surely buy you almost everything else. It can even get you the

Unfortunately, tons of money and the perfect woman can’t really go together according to a recent study in China which found that the wealthier a man becomes or even feels, the less attractive his mate gets in his eyes.

The research team, composed of scientists from different Chinese universities, studied 182 Chinese college students (121 women, 61 men) in committed relationships. Using two separate experiments, the researchers simulated participants’ feelings of having more or less money and then asked about their thoughts and behaviors on their mate preferences

The first study revealed that men who were made to feel that they had relatively more money, became less satisfied with their partners’ physical appearance than those who were made to feel that they had less.

This result suggests that the feeling of having more or less money may affect men’s preferences regarding the physical attractiveness of their long-term mates.

The difference, however, did not show up in women’s results. Researchers believe that this is due to men having evolved to value looks in a partner, while women value resources.

The second study showed that both men and women who were primed to feel that they are rich both gained a greater “behavioral approach tendency” to attractive potential mates than those who were supposed to have less money, suggesting that people who feel they are rich have the tendency to seek out more attractive alternatives than those who have less money.

Both studies show the significant effects of money on relationship strategies and provide an insight regarding shifts in mating preferences when the money comes rushing in.

It is best to keep in mind that this research is all about perception. While money may seem to make the world go round, love should still conquer all.

h/t: AskMen

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