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Women’s preferences in love seem to evolve over time. A recent study reveals the main attributes sought in the ideal partner as well as their age, over time.
As we age, everyone’s life goals and motivations evolve, including when it comes to romantic relationships. It is therefore normal to observe changes in your preferences. A recent study reveals the link between the age of women and their attraction to certain characteristics in their partners.
Old studies have highlighted women’s preferences. However, they were only based on people from the same background and of the same age. Thus, the new study takes into account a more heterogeneous sample in order to understand how women generally choose their partner based on their age.
As women age they prefer younger men.
The study involved 17,254 single women from 150 different countries, aged 18 to 67, with different sexual orientations (straight, bi or homosexual). All responded to an online survey to assess their preferences regarding the attributes of the “ideal partner”. These characteristics include kindness, support, attractiveness, financial security, education, intelligence, confidence, and assertiveness. The survey also asked about the importance of parenthood to a partner, as well as how many children they prefer.
According to the results, the older women are, the more importance they attach to trust and confidence in their partner. This choice could reflect greater clarity in what they want in a partner as they gain experience in their lives.
As women get older, they seem more open to a wider age range in their partners, with a particular attraction to younger ones. Indeed, while at 18 they generally prefer partners their own age or older, at 65 they also accept partners 15 years younger. This change could be linked to the decrease in the number of partners of the same age available.
Evolution of the desire for parenthood according to age
Yet, “Age does not appear to play a role in most attributes of an ideal partner” researcher Laura Botzet tells PsyPost. “Across all age groups, single women most want their partner to be kind, supportive, attractive, financially stable and intelligent.”.
Over time, the desire for parenthood follows the curve of an inverted U. Between the ages of 20 and 30, women give more importance to their partner wanting to become a parent. However, from the age of 30, this preference would become less and less of a criterion. Based on observations, this trend varies between heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual women.
Changes depending on age or generation?
The researchers suggest that future studies should look at a wider age range. They could also include women over 67, to understand how partner preferences change later in life.
Future research could also show how individual preferences evolve over time, by asking the same women, at different ages, to describe their dream partner. The results of this study do not allow us to know whether the changes observed are due to aging or whether it is a difference between generations.
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