Comments on: Are Women Picky?

By: lemmy caution

lemmy caution — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:41:10 +0000

Women. women. women. But if you look at the data, women don’t change there pickyness that much based on who rotates. Men do. Look at figure 1c on page 4 of the paper:

http://faculty.wcas.northwestern.edu/eli-finkel/documents/49_FinkelEastwickInPress_PSci.pdf

Both genders are more likely to say yes if they are the ones rotating, but this effect is about 2.5 times greater for the men than the women.

By: Pacemaker

Pacemaker — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:52:44 +0000

I’m surprised no one has suggested a selection bias here. The women taking part in speed-dating events aren’t representative of the general population of women, which I assume the surveys sampled. Perhaps this subpopulation has greater preference for good-looking men, which might make them more likely to speed-date over more traditional methods of seeking partners. However, I can’t really think of good reasons for the higher appeal of speed-dating to such women.

By: fourcultures

fourcultures — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:02:16 +0000

I'm very interested in the recursivity between behaviour and environment. It looks as though this study shows selectivity (usually seen as an individual trait, as in 'I can't help it, I'm just choosy') is conditioned by institutional context. I wonder if a similar set of experiments could be conducted, in which women and men were allowed to choose whether they wanted to move about (be chosen) or stay put (do the choosing). Somewhat connected: I've recently written about the cultural context of tipping and how it affects the people giving tips.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:26:03 +0000

I don’t know, maybe I misread – seems to me that if I’m stationary and different prospective mates are coming to me… well, I’d probably feel more empowered, more selective. As far as institutions influencing such tendencies? Well, chicken/egg comes to mind.

“My hope with the discussions below is that they will help other guys hopscotch past a lot of the conceptual traps that hold us back.” –Nonmonogamy for Men

Psychological barriers? Value system? Selective Self respect/integrity?
The other day someone was saying how because of the recession shoplifting had increased dramatically. My thoughts on this is that these people are basically continuing to do what they’ve done for years, on toxic credit, condoned by governments that can’t, or refuse to, legislate/execute the hard facts of unsustainable economics and therefore pander to selfish sex obsessed consumers (just take statistics on pornography). Everything is so hideously distorted I’ll call it ‘shagflation’ (the cause of the so called recession).

I think an important issue here is confidence. But a confidence that may have been a win win for hunter gatherers far more often translates into narcissism and crime in the modern context, but so long as the conscience is sufficiently dimmed with alcohol it need not impinge on a ‘good’ time.

By: Ben Greenfield

Ben Greenfield — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:28:33 +0000

*One should expect

By: Ben Greenfield

Ben Greenfield — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:27:25 +0000

One should a discrepancy between individual’s long term wants and what they actually pursue, since the relationship market doesn’t provide long term goods (say, a 10 year relationship contract) but a series of short term goods (coffee date, night out, high liquidity marriage, etc.)

By: More Wednesday links - Maggie's Farm

More Wednesday links - Maggie's Farm — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:26:30 +0000

[...] women pickier about men than men about [...]

By: 091111 Five Must Reads | johnsumser.com

091111 Five Must Reads | johnsumser.com — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:56:28 +0000

[...] Are Women Picky? Overcoming Bias looks at a study that seems to demonstrate that women are picky because men prefer to put them in institutions that make them that way. Really. [...]

By: Grant

Grant — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:09:28 +0000

Adding to this, I know I would think much less of a woman if she was obviously attracted to alpha-type males, even if she didn’t sleep with them. I never think much of the female groupies my alpha-ish male friends have, and I’ve noticed I immediately become less attracted to them when I learn they’ve slept with my alpha friends.

If this is a general trend with men, it would explain why women don’t admit their preferences.

By: Grant

Grant — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:03:47 +0000

I think speed dating is just a easy way to meet a lot of people in a short time, and decide if you want to date one.

At first glance it seems like men admit more of what they want than women. I’m young, rich, and (according to women) very attractive, but unless I use game the opposite sex generally ignores me. Women aren’t able or willing to communicate why I’m not attracting them without game, though I of course know why. I’ve had female friends who were completely unwilling to admit why they didn’t like a suitor, though they would tell me in private (in all cases it was a lack of physical attractiveness).

Why would our genes or memes evolve to understand our own preferences if those preferences look bad in the eyes of others?