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Researchers have recently challenged the long-held belief that women prefer older men by finding precisely the opposite in thousands of women who went on blind dates. The study, which involved more than 6,000 participants, revealed that both men and women tended to rate younger dates as more desirable future partners, suggesting that men do not have a monopoly on valuing youth in potential partners.
Psychologists involved in the study said the results were surprising because academics often presume that the global trend for older men in married and cohabiting couples reflects the preferences of both partners. The researchers analyzed questionnaires completed by blind daters who used a matchmaking service to find potential long-term partners. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that men and women were equally more attracted to younger dates, at least after the first meeting.
Paul Eastwick, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and the study’s first author, stated that the finding would be “shocking to many people” because it contradicts the common assumption that women prefer older partners. Globally, married men are on average four years older than their wives, with smaller gaps in Europe and North America and larger gaps in sub-Saharan Africa.
US census data indicates that in half of married couples, the man is at least two years older than the female, while only 14% have a woman who is older by the same margin. In England and Wales, nearly a third of married couples have an age difference of five or more years. The study’s findings challenge these cultural and societal norms, suggesting that the preference for younger partners is more prevalent than previously thought.
Eastwick noted that the effect amounted to daters preferring the younger of two potential partners 55% of the time. While the preference for youth may not be immediately noticeable, it makes a difference when looking at the aggregate data.
If women tend to prefer younger men, why are most women the younger partners in relationships? One theory is that women may find younger men more attractive initially, but the relationships may not last when “the liabilities of men’s youth come to the fore.” Another possibility is that men simply get to exert their preferences more often. The age gap in Europe and the US has decreased over decades, while larger gaps persist in regions with less gender equality.
Eastwick suggested that an age difference might be ingrained in the dating pool from the start. Boys mature later and are considered viable dating material at an older age. Meanwhile, older women may remove themselves from the dating pool, believing that they do not want to be “a nurse or a purse.”
A separate study last year found that as people age, they increasingly prefer younger partners. Men typically start with younger partners, while women initially prefer older men before shifting to same-aged partners in middle age and younger men in their retirement years.
“There is perhaps some wisdom in broadening one’s horizons,” Eastwick said. “Many men found the women who were older than them to be appealing. So if more people went on dates where the woman was older than the man, I bet you’d start to see more of these ‘age-reversed’ couples.”
The study’s findings offer new insights into age preferences in dating and relationships, challenging traditional views and encouraging individuals to consider broader possibilities when seeking potential partners.
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