Attractive Dates Don't Pay For Dinner, Study Finds

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.