Posted on 12/15/2004 4:03:40 AM PST by shrinkermd
Men would rather marry their secretaries than their bosses, and evolution may be to blame, psychology researchers at the University of Michigan reported last week.
The study, in which college undergraduates were asked to make hypothetical choices, suggests that men in search of long-term relationships prefer to marry women in subordinate jobs rather than women who are supervisors, said Dr. Stephanie Brown, a social psychologist at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and the report's lead author.
Dr. Brown said the findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, could have far-reaching implications. "These findings provide empirical support for the widespread belief that powerful women are at a disadvantage in the marriage market because men may prefer to marry less accomplished women," she said.
The researchers asked 120 men and 208 women, all undergraduates, to rate their hypothetical attraction to people they might know from work. The men, for example, were shown pictures and asked, "Imagine that you have just taken a job and that Jennifer is your immediate supervisor," or peer, or assistant. The participants were then asked to rate, on one-to-nine scale, how much they would like to go to a party, date or marry the person.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
VERY scientific study!
I don't care how many CEO titles she carries ;)
Undergrads are such a representative slice of America, aren't they? (Sounds like the format for last election's "exit polling.")
In any case, this study doesn't seem to deal with the female response.
The male brain tends to be an equal opportunity seed spreader ... many women say they "think with their ____ instead of their brain." It suspect it's deeper than all that.
For example, if he's not willing to go after the boss, perhaps it's 'cause she's sending out "stay away from me" signals. These are subtle behaviors, gestures, and expressions such as the line "Ugghhhh....Stay the hell away from me!"
Repeated applications of the above line tend to moderate even the most passionate flame burning in the breast of the male of the species.
The secretary, on the other hand, who is looking for a companion and not an "intellectual equal to take care of her at the status to which she is accustomed" will send unfathomable messages such as "Good morning, how's it going?" The next thing you know they're drinking coffee, having fun, crossing altars, and making babies.
Well DUH.
What do they think these are, anyways???
what is that about?
I am amused that two of liberalism's sacred cows, evolution and feminism, are goring each other.
I'm sorry all the nice women you know are stupid. Maybe the smart ones don't talk to you...
Somebody didn't take their meds this morning did they?
My wife makes three times what his wife makes and I say that with the same authority that he did.
Which is none at all.
This ain't rocket science folks.
Men are really "simple creatures."
I think it really has little to do with how accomplished a woman is and more to do with her physical attraction, youthfulness, etc.
I know their ARE exceptions, but most likely, a female CEO of a company is going to be someone who has put far more effort into improving her mind than her looks and is likely to be less attractive than the female secretaries or interns working in the company. The men will give their attention to the young and pretty ladies.
Absolutely true. This is why Career women have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than of getting married to someone decent. Men want their wives to be wives, good looking, good mothers, good homemakers. If we wanted to hang around corporate executives we'd go to the club and shoot hoops or play racquetball.
By the time a woman chooses to pursue her career and achieves anything she is old and worn out and made ugly due to all the poison she's had to endure in the corporate world. The youth and freshness and softness is drained right out of her. (in the vast majority of cases)
A woman who chooses to be a wife and mother however tends to be young and fresh much longer. (my wife as an example).
Sorry ladies but the truth is you can't have it all. You can either be corporately successful or domestically successful. Both of these are full time positions (12-15 hours per day) and seldom can anyone do both jobs at once.
Maybe most men think their secretaries are smarter than their bosses.
And they whine about there not being any good men out there.
We're out there, but we're not stupid.
In short, most men prefer to be the man rather than the supervised in a relationship.
Womens' Libbers never quite grasp that concept.
Just my $0.02 worth.
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