Rational Speed Dating

Slate features an economist telling us that, in a speed-dating context anyway, men favor looks and women prefer brains.

OK, it is actually a bit more interesting than that, but don't be looking for this piece to shatter many stereotypes.  However, guys with an eye for the Asian ladies may find this interesting:

Another clear gender divide, this one less expected, emerged in our findings on racial preferences, reported in a forthcoming article in the Review of Economic Studies. Women of all the races we studied revealed a strong preference for men of their own race: White women were more likely to choose white men; black women preferred black men; East Asian women preferred East Asian men; Hispanic women preferred Hispanic men. But men don't seem to discriminate based on race when it comes to dating. A woman's race had no effect on the men's choices.

Two wrinkles on this: We found no evidence of the stereotype of a white male preference for East Asian women. However, we also found that East Asian women did not discriminate against white men (only against black and Hispanic men). As a result, the white man-Asian woman pairing was the most common form of interracial dating—but because of the women's neutrality, not the men's pronounced preference. We also found that regional differences mattered. Daters of both sexes from south of the Mason-Dixon Line revealed much stronger same-race preferences than Northern daters.

Guys don't discriminate by race?  Hmm, did they even test to see whether guys discriminate by species?

LINKBUSTERS:  On a good day, the previous link will take you to the lyrics of "Guys Are Not Proud" by the Anemic Boyfriends; on a bad day, who can tell?

Comments

[Jodi]

Tom, a simpler take would be:

Men are pretty simple when it comes to sex. They want it no matter what.

Women are far more discerning.

[Forbes]

This "experiment" is just too funny. Where does one start?

"Our purpose is to understand how life-long relationships are formed."

So let's use 4-minute "speed dating" encounters as a proxy for life-long relationships.

And this is how economists apply the Theory of Rational Choice?

"[W]e had data on thousands of decisions made by more than 400 daters from Columbia University's various graduate and professional schools."

And this survey sample is representative of exactly what population? It's certainly not a random sample from which extrapolations to the general population could be made.

Ivy graduate students rating other Ivy graduate students on brains, ambition, and looks. The only uncontrolled variable are their looks. (Rigorous, this is not.)

"Another clear gender divide, this one less expected, emerged in our findings on racial preferences...Women of all the races we studied revealed a strong preference for men of their own race...But men don't seem to discriminate based on race when it comes to dating."

Well, duh.

Apparently, only a woman's pretty face had an effect on the men's choices.

And this finding was "less expected"?

It would seem the reason that economists fare so poorly when arriving at conclusions about the real world is due to their lack of familiarity with the real world. For only an economist could refer to "what makes someone desirable" as a "mystery solved" in this manner. LOL.

[PeterUK]

As the saying goes,"Men were born with a brain and a penis,but only enough blood to run one at a time".

[bgates]

Discriminate by species? Heck, forget speed dating, didn't you have a post on '10-speed dating' last week?

[windansea]

this thread needs a bit of lighter fuel

Women are far more discerning.

uh huh, discerning like a capital gains tax specialist

Apparently, only a woman's pretty face had an effect on the men's choices.

now isn't that refreshing, men are less racist, and unconcerned with your socio economic status, we don't ask "innocent" little questions designed to elicit your net worth.

Men...the fairest sex :)

[vnjagvet]

This just in!

At that age the only thought among 99.5% of the men:

Will I get lucky tonight?

And this takes an economist to study?

[Jim Rockford]

There's some gold in the study, if you look carefully.

Men select women with equal or less brains/status. Why? [So much for looks only, the study clearly states that women's superior perceived intelligence/status caused men to pass on them regardless of looks.]

IMHO, the cause is men's belief that women select on status/power/wealth, which are a function of status/intelligence [both current and expected in the future]. Therefore it makes sense to pass on a woman "out of your league" in status/intelligence since she'll demand more of both in mate, i.e. equal or better.

Regardless of if this is true or not, the men in the study seem to have behaved as if it were true, according to the report. That's the most intriguing part of the article.

[Topsecretk9]

Jim

AKA...women have sure gotten bitchy and unattractive (and I am not just talking about looks!)

Women (not all women, but many) aren't sweet anymore. They aren't sweet and caring towards men and they don't make a man feel like a man. They are too needy demanding or bitchy demanding. They want men to work and bring home money and then shut up and work at home and do what they are told.

Basically, we have come full circle.

[MJW]

I believe Dr. Gerald Seinfeld conducted some similar research in the the early 90's. His conclusion:

Women need to like the job of the guy they’re with. If they don’t like the job, they don’t like the guy. Men know this. Which is why we make up the phony, bogus names for the jobs that we have. “Well, right now, I’m the regional management supervisor. I’m in development, research, consulting...” Men on the other hand – if they are physically attracted to a woman – are not that concerned with her job. Are we? Men don’t really care. Men’ll just go, “Really? Slaughterhouse? Is that where you work? That sounds interesting. So whaddaya got a big cleaver there? You’re just lopping their heads off? That sounds great! Listen, why don’t you shower up, and we’ll get some burgers and catch a movie.

[kim]

Shower? Listen, pal, my perfume is birth control.
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[kim]

I would hat tip my reference if I could remember it. Was it Orwell? Prolly not Plum.
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[MarkD]

Economics is called the dismal science for a reason.

[Ria Rodriguez]

I have never understood why women, regardless of race, prefer to date their own. Is it coz of daddy? i dont know. However, one thing that matters is that we should all respect other people's preferences ... interracial dating or same race dating. All that matters is that you date who you want and let others do the same.