Shocking study: Men with hot wives have happier marriages. By Richard Thompson. Rare, November 20, 2013.
Men With Attractive Wives Report Higher Levels of Marital Satisfaction, New Study Finds. By Taryn Hillin. The Huffington Post, November 19, 2013.
A Hot Wife Means a Happier Marriage. By CH. Chateau Heartiste, November 21, 2013.
Survey Says: Dudes Like Having Attractive Wives. By Kelly Faircloth. Jezebel, November 21, 2013.
Sex Differences in the Implications of Partner Physical Attractiveness for the Trajectory of Marital Satisfaction. By Andrea L. Meltzer et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, online first publication, October 14, 2013.
Abstract:
Do men
value physical attractiveness in a mate more than women? Scientists in numerous
disciplines believe that they do, but recent research using speed-dating
paradigms suggests that males and females are equally influenced by physical
attractiveness when choosing potential mates. Nevertheless, the premise of the
current work is that sex differences in the importance of physical
attractiveness are most likely to emerge in research on long-term
relationships. Accordingly, the current work drew from 4 independent,
longitudinal studies to examine sex differences in the implications of partner
physical attractiveness for trajectories of marital satisfaction. In all 4
studies, both partners’ physical attractiveness was objectively rated at
baseline, and both partners reported their marital satisfaction up to 8 times
over the first 4 years of marriage. Whereas husbands were more satisfied at the
beginning of the marriage and remained more satisfied over the next 4 years to
the extent that they had an attractive wife, wives were no more or less
satisfied initially or over the next 4 years to the extent that they had an
attractive husband. Most importantly, a direct test indicated that partner
physical attractiveness played a larger role in predicting husbands’ satisfaction
than predicting wives’ satisfaction. These findings strengthen support for the
idea that sex differences in self-reported preferences for physical
attractiveness do have implications for long-term relationship outcomes.
