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Ever wondered why some men prefer younger women , while women are attracted to older men ? Well, it turns out the answer lies in our biological drive to maximize our chances of reproducing. At least, that’s what new research suggests. The study shows that men’s age preference in a partner is influenced by their desire to have children, or whether they already have children.
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The research
The study consisted of two parts. In the first study, 119,361 people were analyzed to investigate whether having children or a desire to have children influenced the age they set on the dating app as a matching criterion. In the second study, another 486,382 people were analyzed to investigate to what extent the preferred age of a match was related to whether or not they wanted or had children.
The study showed that men’s age preference depended on their child status, whether they already have children or want to have children . Men who do not have children or want to have children prefer younger women. Men who already have children or do not want to have children prefer a somewhat older woman. On the other hand, women’s age preferences are less strongly linked to having children or wanting to have children.
These findings suggest that men and women have different priorities when selecting a mate and that these priorities are partly determined by their ‘childhood status’.
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Why do men want younger partners?
Evolutionarily, it is important for men to reproduce in order to pass on their genes to the next generation. Men can have offspring until a later age, while women have a biological clock. They are also dependent on a limited fertile period. It is therefore not surprising that men who do not (yet) have children or who want children often prefer a younger partner.
A younger partner increases a man’s chances of having offspring. In addition, younger women often have more time to have children, which is good for reproduction, so the theory goes. But what happens if men already have children or don’t want children?
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The desire for children and age preferences
The study shows that men who already have children or do not want to have children, find age less important when choosing a partner than men without children or men who still want to have children. Those who already have children or do not want to have children, therefore, more often prefer a relatively older partner. This can be explained by the fact that these men attach less value to the reproductive opportunities that a younger partner offers.
Unlike men, women have less strong age preferences, regardless of whether they have or want children. Women often have a broader interest in a potential partner and focus more on other qualities, such as personality and stability.
The findings of this study are not surprising. In fact, they are consistent with evolutionary predictions about mate choice. Men prefer a partner who is still of reproductive age, while women are more interested in a partner who is stable and can take good care of the children.
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