After Analyzing 4,500 Blind Dates, Scientists Found Both Men And Women Prefer Younger Partners
Romance is full of stereotypes. Conventional wisdom holds that men chase youth, while women seek older, more established partners. But a new study flips this script, revealing a surprising truth. When it comes to initial attraction, both men and women are slightly more drawn to younger partners at virtually the same rate — whether they realize it or not.
“This preference for youth among women will be shocking to many people,” said Paul Eastwick, a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, and the study’s lead author. “In mixed-gender couples, men tend to be older than women. Plus, women generally say they prefer older partners. But women’s preferences on the dates themselves revealed something else entirely.”
