Gaby
Dating apps and websites often face criticism for placing a heavy emphasis on wealth and physical attractiveness, while qualities like emotional warmth and intelligence take a backseat.
Researchers from the University of São Paulo in Brazil set out to determine whether money and beauty are truly the most valued traits for future romantic relationships. What they discovered was surprising.
How the Study Was Conducted
The university team involved 778 cisgender participants aged 18 to 64. They were asked to assign scores to various traits that would define an ideal partner. Among these traits were physical attractiveness, socio-economic status, health, kindness, and intelligence.
Cisgender refers to individuals whose gender identity aligns with their biological sex.
The researchers proposed three different scoring “budgets”: low, medium, and high. Depending on the scenario, participants had to allocate points among the traits with varying degrees of generosity, as reported by Science Alert. For instance, the lowest “budget” meant the toughest choices between traits, as there were not enough points to go around.
In all three scenarios, kindness and intelligence emerged as the top priorities for participants seeking stable, long-term relationships, regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation. Interestingly, as participants’ wealth increased, they were more willing to sacrifice points for intelligence and kindness. Meanwhile, men tended to assign more points to the physical appearance of potential partners. Additionally, individuals who were more attractive or had a higher socio-economic status placed less importance on these qualities in others.
As noted by lead author João Francisco Goes Braga Takayanagi, socio-economic status turned out to be a low-priority trait for all groups, including heterosexual women.
Some researchers not involved in the study believe it has its limitations, as it only included volunteers from a specific region. Therefore, results regarding partner preferences may differ across cultures.
Nonetheless, the authors of the study advised those seeking romantic and long-lasting relationships to “work on their intellect and personal qualities.” According to the team, intelligence and kindness remain universal values for modern individuals of any sexual orientation and gender.
Thus, the study offers hope that those genuinely searching for a long-term partner truly value emotional warmth and intellect above all else.
The findings were published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
