STUDY: Nice guys don’t actually finish last
The common assumption has been that nice, loving guys usually have the hardest time warming their way into women’s hearts.
Women are assumed to prefer the unavailable bad boy type. Turns out we were all wrong. Findings of a new scientific study suggest that good guys do not always finish last.
Researchers from the University of Sunderland and The University of Worcester, both in the UK looked into what happens when altruism which is described as acting in a way that is beneficial to others and physical attractiveness are investigate together.
They wanted to find out if women prefer one characteristic over the other. 202 study subjects who were all women were showed 24 photographs of men with varying degrees of attractiveness.
Beside the photos, there were descriptions of the men doing kind acts like buying coffee for a homeless person or saving a child. Other photos had descriptions of situations which were not very nice like the said men refusing to help during desperate situations.
KINDNESS vs ATTRACTIVENESS
Study findings which have been published in the journal Evolutionary Biology showed that women are actually attracted to men who are paired up and doing something kind, heroic and generous compared to men who stood out for their physical appeal.
The most desirable men of course were those who showed both altruism and physical attractiveness; physical attractiveness by itself lagged far behind altruism. This was particularly true for women who were looking for long term relationships.
Selfless men were found to be more desirable choices of women who were looking for a long-term commitment. The researchers interpreted this to mean that the men were seen as supportive partners and better fathers. On the flip side, women looking for a fling opted for selfish men.
“Overall, the results provide further support for the view that altruism acts as an important trait in mate choice, particularly in long-term relationships,” the researchers conclude.
If these findings are anything to go by, Mr Right may not be the guy that gives you that butterfly feeling in your stomach.
