Friday, December 6, 2013

Shocking Study: Men With Hot Wives Have Happier Marriages.

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.