Men Of All Ages Prefer Women In Their Mid-20s: Study
As Men Get Older, Their Preferred Partners Stay The Same Age
The Huffington Post Canada
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BEVERLY HILLS, CA - AUGUST 07: Playboy founder Hugh Hefner (L) and TV personality Crystal Harris attend the Beverly Hills City Council and Playboy Enterprises, Inc.'s celebration of the return of Playboy headquarters to Beverly Hills on August 7, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
In the film "Dazed and Confused," Matthew McConaughey's character Wooderson said, "That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age."
And a study out of Finland suggests he's not alone in preferring women of a certain age.
A survey of over 12,000 Finns by psychology researchers at Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland has found that men prefer women in their 20s, no matter how old they were.
And the reason, the study suggested, is that women at this age are considered the most fertile.
"This means that in our evolutionary past, men who have had sex with women in their mid-20s have had more offspring than other men," the release said.
But the study didn't just make findings about men. It also said that females, on average, prefer older and same-aged male partners.
Researcher Jan Antfolk said this was because older men are more likely to provide financial stability than younger ones -- a conclusion is contradicted by data gleaned from a U.S. dating site last year.
Are You Interested found that its female users were more likely to engage with younger men. They were, in fact, twice as likely to respond to male users who were two years their junior as they were to men who were two years older.
The older women were, the more likely they were to respond to younger guys.
Those statistics were released amid data showing that women don't have to depend on men for financial stability.
A study reported by The Atlantic earlier this year also found that romantic partnering has more to do with "matched virtues" than finances.
Sociologist Elizabeth McClintock noted that financially successful women often end up with financially successful men, and that, similarly, attractive women also partner with attractive men.
But ultimately, when it comes to finding sexual partners, women have the upper hand: the Finnish study said they're more likely to mate with their ideal partners than men are.
Along with falling into that narrow "up and down" no-no, cropping someone out results in less communication, according to eHarmony. And besides, you really should have at least one good picture of you on your own somewhere.
DO: Upload A Bunch Of Pictures(03 of18)
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Give the people what they want! And in this context, that means a variety of pictures, so that prospects can get a good sense of what you look like, what you're into and so on. (credit:Shutterstock)
DON'T: Snap From Afar(04 of18)
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Though you don't want to get too close, you also don't want your picture to be taken from far away — that can seem as though you're hiding something about your appearance. (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Show Your Left Side(05 of18)
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Real scientific research has gone into this one, so why not trust it? Apparently showing the left side of your face in pictures is more aesthetically pleasing, according to PsychCentral, and has the added bonus of showing more emotion. (credit:Shutterstock)
DON'T: Feature Shots Of Your Buddy(06 of18)
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Even if it's the most platonic of friendships, don't include a picture of yourself with a member of the opposite sex if you're looking for a heterosexual relationship. In general, keep pictures confined to shots of yourself. (credit:Shutterstock)
That same study showed that men prefer women who demonstrate happiness in their profile pictures, assumedly because it's associated with femininity and nurturing, and are least attracted to women showing pride. (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Get Outdoors(09 of18)
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Taking a picture outside allows for the flattering effect of natural sunlight on skin, notes eHarmony. Just be careful to avoid squinting into the sun, and opt for a sideways glance instead. (credit:Shutterstock)
DON'T: Be In A Costume(10 of18)
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As one eHarmony blogger pleads, even if you think it's a hilarious picture, don't put up a shot of your Halloween costume. Sure, you want someone who shares your sense of humour, but let them see what you look like first. (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Get Flirtatious With The Camera(11 of18)
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OkCupid found that, to their surprise, when women made a "flirty face" without smiling at the camera, it generated more new contacts in a month than any other expression. Flirting away from the camera, however, was the least favoured expression. (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Get Serious Away From The Camera(12 of18)
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For men on OkCupid, the most favoured expression was an unsmiling face that looked away from the camera — possibly, they theorized, because it gave an air of mystery. Flirting away from the camera, however, was also still a big no-no. (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Take A Selfie (If You're A Gal)(13 of18)
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The researchers seemed as surprised by this as us, but apparently, the selfie, duck face or MySpace photo was the biggest hit by OkCupid users in terms of context. Is it possible it is the most flattering angle? (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Grab An Animal (If You're A Guy)(14 of18)
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As for men, the favoured context for a headshot was one featuring a guy with an animal, whether a pet or even one at the zoo. Though this may not apply to everyone, as it was followed closely by ... (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Show Off Those Abs(15 of18)
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The second most popular context for men on OkCupid was showing off muscles — though the researchers are quick to point out that (a) obviously it's only guys who have them who would show them off, and (b) this becomes less attractive to women the older the guys are. (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Show Cleavage(16 of18)
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This isn't necessarily a surprising finding, but men really do prefer profiles of women who show cleavage. The interesting point? Unlike the muscle men, as women get older, if they show cleavage, they're more likely to be messaged. (credit:Shutterstock)
DO: Show Some Interests(17 of18)
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OkCupid found that as far as a picture leading to a conversation goes, the most likely ones start with a shot of someone doing something interesting. And it's not hard to figure out why — it gives the messager an easy opening. (credit:Shutterstock)
DON'T: Drink In Your Picture(18 of18)
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Is it because you seem young when you feature booze in your profile picture or that you don't have any other interests? The research didn't specify, but drinking in your shot was the least likely picture to generate an actual conversation. (credit:Shutterstock)
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