Study reveals what big-city women really want: Men with money

Cornell News ^ | FOR RELEASE: May 29, 2002 | Roger Segelken

[vannrox]

Biologist's reading of lonely-hearts personal ads reveals what big-city women really want: Men with money

FOR RELEASE: May 29, 2002

Contact: Roger Segelken
Office: 607-255-9736
E-Mail: hrs2@cornell.edu

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Kevin J. McGraw, a biologist at Cornell University, knew what female birds and other animals in crowded, resource-scarce environments look for in their mates: males with potential to materially care for females and their offspring. But what about the human animal? What do women really want, McGraw wondered, as he read thousands of lonely-hearts personal ads in newspapers from 23 American cities. After two months of research, the graduate student in Cornell's Department of Neurobiology and Behavior concludes, "In densely populated and resource-demanding environments, birds and women may not be all that different."

Where resources are at a premium -- expensive, big cities from San Francisco to Boston -- so are the men who can provide them, says McGraw. In such densely populated places, personal ads indicate that male-provided material comforts seem more important to women than do emotional or intellectual aspects of a relationship. But in medium- and smaller-sized cities, the biologist's reading of newspaper personal ads found the opposite: Women place more emphasis on emotional aspects or personal interests of potential mates, and less on materialism.

McGraw comments: "This study emphasizes the flexibility of mating strategies, depending on the environments individuals find themselves in. The rich guys don't always win. And the nice guys don't always finish last -- although they might have to move to be found by the right mate."

The personal-ad reader, whose more traditional scientific studies -- the effects of diet, genetics and physiology on birds' plumage color, for example -- have taken him to natural habitats around the world, published his findings, "Environmental Predictors of Geographic Variation in Human Mating Preferences," in Ethology (Vol. 108, pp. 303-317), a European journal of behavioral studies.

Physical attractiveness -- the male attribute that seems to motivate women in the popular television series, "Sex and the City" -- does not vary with geographic location or city size, McGraw discovered. Women across the country, who in their personal ads stated preferences for attractive men, were the same ones who also boasted of physical appeal, such as "attractive, blue-eyed blonde."

New York City, the setting for "Sex and the City," was not included in the study because the city's daily newspapers publish too few lonely hearts ads to offer a representative sample. The largest city in the sample was Los Angeles and the smallest was Montgomery, Ala.

Among large cities where female ad-writers rate men who are good providers over men who are good listeners, San Francisco ranked first -- followed by Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and Miami, in that order. However, money is much less important to women in St. Louis and Kansas City, with The Big Easy (New Orleans) and Montgomery, Ala., tying for honors as places where women care about things other than income.

Comparing human mate-choice strategies to those of other animals, McGraw says women seeking resource-rich men use phrases like "financially stable" and "professional and intelligent." And those attributes "are important to animals, too, when natural resources are in short supply and the cost of living is high," he adds, nothing that the same species of animals in less crowded environments might have the luxury of looking for other attributes in potential mates.

However, the emotional aspects of interest to women -- such as honesty, compassion and sincerity -- are harder to judge in non-human animals, the biologist says, "although we might look for a male's attentiveness to his mate as a sign of commitment." Regarding shared personal interests, he says, "It's hard for us to put a finger on the hobbies of wild animals, but if you wanted to impress a bird, you might escort her to a foraging site or sing a song with her."

Asked to write a personal ad that would accurately portray himself, McGraw says the advertisement certainly wouldn't emphasize money -- "not on a graduate student's income!"

Besides, a mate already has found McGraw, and he doesn't have time to read newspaper ads these days. He and his wife are expecting their first child in August.

-30-

Syntax and the City: Lonely-hearts ad language reveals where money matters and sincerity slides Desired traits in women-seeking-men personal advertisements in 23 American newspapers, expressed as percentages of all words in ads . Boldface percentages are highest in each category; underlined are the lowest Source: "Environmental Predictors of Geographic Variation in Human Mating Preferences" (Ethology, Vol. 108, pp. 303-331) by Kevin J. McGraw, Cornell University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior.

	Physical	Resources	Emotional	Hobbies
Atlanta, GA	32%	19%	31%	17%
Boston, MA	30	23	35	13
Buffalo, NY	37	16	38	9
Charlotte, NC	29	17	34	20
Chicago, IL	33	22	32	14
Cleveland, OH	35	20	30	15
Denver, CO	31	16	31	22
Detroit, MI	35	18	30	18
Hartford, CT	31	17	36	16
Houston, TX	25	16	34	24
Kansas City, MO	3	13	37	20
Los Angeles, CA	33	24	36	7
Miami, FL	28	21	33	19
Montgomery, AL	21	12	38	29
New Orleans, LA	35	12	32	22
Orlando, FL	32	16	35	17
Philadelphia, PA	33	18	31	18
Pittsburgh, PA	30	18	35	18
Salt Lake City, UT	23	18	33	26
San Francisco, CA	34	28	27	11
Seattle, WA	28	17	29	25
St. Louis, MO	29	14	35	22
Washington, DC	42	18	27	13

[anniegetyourgun]

Why do I get the impression that this story should be linked with THIS one?

[parsifal]

Oh how depressing. The size of my bank account does matter. parsy the probably celibate at some point in the future.

[vetvetdoug]

I don't believe it...I get spam email everyday saying that women really want men with larger members and the spammers say they can help. Either this study or the spammers are wrong....hehhehehe....

[xrp]

I live/hunt women in Atlanta and this study is 100% true. Almost all of them are gold diggers. Now, I make very good money for a 28 year old, but I am not going to let myself be suckered into a relationship and marriage by a deceitful woman intent only on entrapment and then to divorce me 2 years later and try to seize 50% of my assets and make a grab at my 401k plan as well.

As gutless as this may seem, I'm almost certain IF I ever let my guard down against women and get married that I will HAVE to have a prenuptial agreement.

[Sungirl]

I pity the fool who marries you.

[xrp]

So do I.

[Felicity]

What type of ammo do you use to *hunt* women?

[xrp]

Nice clothes, aftershave, politeness, southern gentleman hospitality, good conversation, etc. Doesn't seem to work. Not in Atlanta.

[headsonpikes]

In other news, latest reports say mosquitoes only bite humans whose bodies contain actual blood.

[Argus]

Women want men with money and men want women with sex appeal. What a shock. You mean this is why Anna Nicole Smith married an 89 year old billionaire and vice versa?

[Felicity]

Maybe it's the aftershave ; ) Well, it's Friday night, you better get out and do some hunting : ).

[AmishDude]

City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile
A rich old man
And she won't have to worry
She'll dress up all in lace and go in style

Late at night a big old house gets lonely
I guess ev'ry form of refuge has its price
And it breaks her heart to think her love is
Only given to a man with hands as cold as ice

--Eagles, "Lyin' Eyes"

[Tennessee_Bob]

So women want good-looking, wealthy men.

Well, hell - guess I'll just have to stick with being a single dad from here on out.

[METARZAN]

Only in "big-cities" my butt! Small town life is the same, only they "hold-out" a bit more longer! Hehehhehe (flame away "BIG" city gals).

Metarzan

[AmishDude]

I'm betting "humility" was left off the list. That might be it.

[SamAdams76]

Almost all of them are gold diggers. Now, I make very good money for a 28 year old, but I am not going to let myself be suckered into a relationship and marriage by a deceitful woman intent only on entrapment and then to divorce me 2 years later and try to seize 50% of my assets and make a grab at my 401k plan as well.

Smart man.

I have seen so many men taken advantage of this way. Women come on to them, latch on to them, and soak them for all they are worth. It doesn't matter if they are already married or not. I have a co-worker who had a solid marriage and a couple of kids until this young floozy threw herself all over him. He succumbed and ended up divorcing his wife to marry her where he was stupid enough to have a kid with her. Three years later, she divorced him and the court battles continue to this day. He now lives in a ratty apartment and has two ex-wives splitting his salary and fighting like dogs over what is left of his 401(k) plan.

I'm not saying that this guy is blameless in all of this. But it is obvious that the two women in his life see him as their meal tickets and they are not going to stop until he is cleaned out and completely ruined.

When I was young and still not financially successful, I had a very hard time getting a girl to give me the time of day. Now that I have a nice house and a comfortable income, women are constantly flirting with me. I am fortunate in that I have a genuine desire to keep my marriage together and will not even consider cheating on my wife. I'm sticking with the one who married me before I had any money!

[concerned about politics]

Gee, it used to be the size of a mans foot. My, how things have changed.
Guess it's time for guys to find that rare, elusive farmers daughter.

[AmishDude]

Don't discount the presence of the wedding ring. You see (go with me here, the "logic" is strange) since you are married you have demonstrated a willingness to commit and settle down. Thus, you are a good catch. So, if she can get you to leave your wife and abandon your marriage, you will be the perfect one for her to settle down with and . . .

Sorry, my head hurts.

[ozone1]

Glad I live out in the sticks.