Gaby
A new study from the University of Warsaw in Poland has revealed that women are more likely to agree to dates with meat-eaters. The reason? They perceive these men as more masculine than vegetarians. However, there’s a catch: these women also indulge in meat themselves.
Researchers noted that it can sometimes be challenging to determine what will garner likes on a dating app. Yet, according to the scientists, there is one word that men should absolutely avoid including in their profiles: “vegetarian.” It could turn off potential partners.
During the study, scientists also found that being a vegetarian doesn’t score points for women either. In the eyes of men who prefer meat dishes, women who also eat meat are seen as more feminine.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The team involved over 400 heterosexual participants of both genders, aged 18 to 82, all of whom included meat in their diets. They were asked to imagine they were looking for a partner on a dating app. Participants were shown one of four types of profiles featured in the app. Each woman was asked to evaluate a male profile, and each man evaluated a female profile.
Among these types were vegetarians for ethical reasons, vegetarians for environmental reasons, vegetarians for health reasons, and those who did not provide any information about their diet (the so-called control group).
After viewing the profiles, participants were asked about their feelings toward the person they saw, how willing they were to date them, and how masculine or feminine they perceived them to be.
The results indicated that vegetarians were considered less attractive as romantic partners, as reported by the Daily Mail. Compared to vegetarians, candidates without dietary information were generally perceived more positively, making them seem more suitable for potential relationships, the researchers noted.
Why Is This the Case?
The study examined how differences in diet (whether consuming meat or not) affect romantic attraction and the desire to date people with different eating habits, the team wrote in their report published in the Social Psychological Bulletin.
Upon analyzing the results in more detail, researchers identified key differences in the perception of vegetarians. The overall trend was that candidates from the control group were rated most positively, while health-based vegetarians received the least favorable ratings.
Although participants were not asked about their motivations, researchers speculate that it all boils down to the desire to date like-minded individuals.
“Since only meat-eaters participated in the study, one explanation for the results is that people want to enter relationships with those who share a similar diet,” the scientists wrote.
They added that this aligns with previous research indicating that vegetarians prefer to form romantic relationships with other vegetarians.
“Meat-eaters may believe that vegetarians simply have different values than they do, while those who do not mention their diet may be automatically categorized as meat-eaters, seen as the ‘standard’ option,” the authors of the study suggested. The researchers hope that the findings will prompt further exploration into the perception of vegetarians.
“Efforts to understand the stereotype of vegetarianism and its connection to masculinity may contribute to a better understanding of why men are less likely to become vegetarians,” the team concluded.
