Attractive dates don't pay for dinner,
Scottish researchers found. More specifically, if the date thinks they are more
attractive, they are less likely to offer to pay, especially for women.
"We predicted that attractive
people would show less willingness to pay because people that are more
attractive bring more to the table -- literally -- in the dating market,"
said researcher Michael Sirrat of the University of St. Andrews in a statement.
For the study, 250 men and women with
an average age of 25 were shown pictures of hypothetical blind dates and were
asked about how they would prefer the bill to be paid. They were given the
options of having the man pay, the woman, or splitting the bill.
"Men overall reported a much
greater willingness to pay for the meal than the women, consistent with social
norms in dating. Women almost never indicated that they would pay," said
Sirrat.
Additionally, the women preferred
attractive dates to pay for them, suggesting a desire to enter relationships
when the potential mate is attractive.
The study was published in the journal
Evolutionary Psychology.
