Stuff.co.nz 8 February 2014
Women might shack up with a good-looking bloke but when it comes to tying the knot nice guys finish first, new research suggests.
The United States study found that for men, having an above-average personality coincided with a greater chance of marriage.
But for those with better-than-average looks, living with a partner was less likely to lead to wedding bells.
Otago University social psychologist Jamin Halberstadt said the findings were consistent with evolutionary psychology, which distinguished between marriageable men – and short-term mates.
“Crudely put, the distinction is that women are looking for highly fertile men for short-term relationships and highly dependable men for long-term ones. So women have different types of cues.”
So while a strong-jawed, classically handsome man is viewed as being a good option for fathering offspring, a less good-looking man with a great personality will be considered a better bet for a stable, emotionally and financially committed marriage.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9698719/The-nice-guy-wins-after-all
