Posted on 08/07/2007 6:38:00 PM PDT by blam
Girly men are perfect partners, say women
By Aislinn Simpson
Last Updated: 1:56am BST 08/08/2007
Women searching for the perfect partner avoid macho men in favour of feminine-looking types whom they see as more committed and better parents, research has found.
Jools Oliver with husband Jamie
Men with masculine features, such as a square jaw, larger nose or smaller eyes were perceived to be less faithful, more detached and worse fathers. Those with fuller lips and wide eyes were seen as being more caring, nurturing and less likely to stray.
Psychologists from Durham and St Andrews Universities asked more than 400 people to look at pictures of male faces that were digitally altered to look more masculine or feminine. They were then asked to predict personality traits, such as sexual behaviour and parenting skills, based on the images.
The results, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, revealed that as well as preferring more feminine faces, participants chose healthier ones - such as those with better complexions - as more representative of positive traits, while older faces were preferred over younger ones.
And they could answer some questions when it comes to celebrity pairings. The jazz singer Michael Buble's round cheeks and eyes may indicate that his girlfriend, the Devil Wears Prada actress Emily Blunt, is looking to settle down. The actress Gwyneth Paltrow's choice of the scruffy Coldplay singer Chris Martin could be explained by his big blue eyes and bee-stung lips.
The chef Jamie Oliver's button nose and baby face may show that his wife, Jools, was spot on when she chose to start a family with him - not only does he seem a model father but he has also taken charge of the eating habits of others' children as well.
One of the authors of the report, Prof David Perrett, from St Andrews University, said a healthy face can override "negative" masculine features to make men more appealing. This would explain why the singer Charlotte Church chose the rugged Welsh rugby player Gavin Henson to father her child.
"Our research also found that it is men's health that conveys all-round good qualities for partnership and personality," he said.
The study, supported by the Medical Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council, backs up research of masculinity and personality perceptions and could help relationship counsellors and psychologists.
The lead author, Dr Lynda Boothroyd, a Durham University psychology lecturer, said: "This research shows a high amount of agreement between women about what they see, personality wise, when asked to 'judge a book by its cover'.
"They may well use that impression of someone to decide whether or not to engage with that person. That decision-making process all depends on what a woman is looking for in a relationship at that time of her life."
I'm not the "cowboy" type myself. I'm the "can just about fix anything" type. Rebuilt/Redesigned pretty much the entire house and stuff. The closest I get to a "feminine" side is that my wife lets me decide on everything down to the color scheme and agrees with it. Rips me apart doing some the of projects and she takes care of the important "running the house" stuff during and between projects. It's a good situation, hurts sometimes, but it's fairly equal in the end.
This is a new room I completed for my son earlier this year. I stripped it down completely and did everything by hand...
Stay safe.
I just wanted to say for poor old Jamie Oliver’s defense—he has a cooking show or two in England and is the equivalent of Rachel Ray. I used to watch his show, because we was very funny and cute (looks a little more bloated right now) and cooked good food.(Yes, I think men can be chefs!)
And about the named Jamie being femme—it is, historically, the Scottish nickname for James (Jimmy with an accent—Jemmy), and I am not sure you want to equate Highlanders with girlie men! :)
My husband is pretty hand around the house, but when it comes to projects like the room you did, he usually winds up stopping just short of finishing it. THen I have to hire someone to finish it.
All in all though, he is a good guy. He is a very hard worker and a great father. We have been married for 14 years this coming Monday and like all marriages, we have disagreements sometimes, but I still love him and I think I’ll keep him. (It’s too hard to train a new one :-) )
By the way, nice room. I love the floors.
>>>heading to Iraq this Saturday.......
>Keep your powder dry, your head low, and come home vertical!
Amen to that, and thanks to all those who are serving or who have served.
Femine-looking? Dammit - when are us ugly girlie men gonna get theirs???
Ping!
Or wife...
Women say they like faggy men until they meet a real Man.
Pray for W and Our Troops
My God they look like they’re related!! Could be brother and sister!! EEEewwwwwww....
Dang. Why dont they just hang signs on them that say “Please Kick My A**”
I seem to remember reading something like that too. It said that women’s taste in men changed depending on where they were in their cycle. For instance, when they are ovulating they are more attracted to masculine men, but when they are on their period they prefer a man with an axe in his forehead.
Hmmm...53 and still single and dating....nuff said.
There's an old game that consists of "Have the sensitive guy support you, but cheat on him with the macho male"
I would like to see a study looking at why women are attracted to men like the police officer in Ohio who last month killed his pregnant girlfriend with the help of an old high school girlfriend, had a wife and child at home, a child with the dead girlfriend, and another child by another woman.
There has to be some kind of a sliding scale, with men like this police officer at one end—extremely masculine but also violent and anti-social, and at the other end is John Edwards and Richard Simmons.
Godspeed, friend. FWaFS.
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