What’s the Study About?
This study explores how people choose romantic partners based on facial photographs, like those seen on dating apps (e.g., Tinder). It tests whether traditional ideas—men prioritizing physical attractiveness and women valuing wealth—hold true in online dating, where decisions rely heavily on visuals. The researchers also check if people can guess someone’s wealth from their face and whether preferences differ for short-term (dating) vs. long-term (relationship) partners.
How They Did It
- Participants: 287 heterosexual Americans (157 women, median age 33) from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk.
- Photos: 158 facial photos (81 women, 77 men, aged 18–35) from U.S. dating websites, split into “wealthy” (income >$100,000) and “unwealthy” (<$35,000). Photos were standardized (grayscale, cropped, no accessories).
- Task: Participants rated opposite-sex faces on health, wealth, and attractiveness (1–7 scale). Then, they rated interest in dating or a long-term relationship with each person (half rated dating, half rated relationships). They were told to go with their gut, mimicking quick swipes on dating apps.
- Analysis: Used advanced statistics to account for differences between people and photos, ensuring results apply broadly. They tested:
- If people can accurately guess wealth from faces.
- How health, wealth, and attractiveness affect romantic interest.
- If men and women differ in their preferences and whether dating vs. relationship goals change things.
Main Findings
- Guessing Wealth: People could accurately tell if someone was wealthy or not from their face alone, and men and women were equally good at this.
- What Matters for Romance:
- Health and Attractiveness: Both men and women cared most about how healthy and attractive someone looked. Attractiveness was the top factor.
- Wealth: Surprisingly, perceived wealth didn’t influence romantic interest for either sex.
- No Sex Differences: Men and women used health and attractiveness similarly.
- Dating vs. Relationships: Preferences were the same whether people were thinking about casual dating or long-term relationships.
- Other Notes:
- Older people showed less interest.
- Men were slightly more interested than women.
- Single people were a bit more interested than those in relationships.
What It Means
- Challenging Old Ideas: Unlike past studies suggesting men want attractive partners and women want rich ones (based on parental investment theory), this study shows both sexes focus on health and attractiveness in online dating. Wealth doesn’t seem to matter when judging faces alone.
- Why?: Online dating apps give little info beyond photos, so people rely on quick impressions. Attractiveness may signal health and success, making it a go-to cue for both men and women.
- Real-World Relevance: This reflects how people make snap decisions on apps like Tinder, where photos dominate.
Bottom Line
When picking partners from facial photos, both men and women focus on health and attractiveness, not wealth, challenging traditional ideas about mate preferences. This shows how online dating’s visual focus leads to similar choices for both sexes.