Gender Differences: What We Seek in Romantic and Sexual Partners

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences with regard to what we seek in romantic and sexual partners, as well as to examine differences between those currently in a relationship and those who are not. Participants were 87 undergraduate students (29 males, 58 females) recruited from a college in the northeast. Author-created surveys modeled along the lines on the research done by Buss & Barnes (1986) were constructed, which asked participants to rank the importance of characteristics, as well as rank the three most important and three least important characteristics with regards to what they seek in romantic and sexual partners. The results indicated that females place as much importance on physical attractiveness as an ideal characteristic in a sexual partner as males. Both males and females viewed loyalty as the most important characteristic in a romantic partner. Students who were in a relationship and those not in a relationship viewed loyalty as the most important characteristic in romantic partner, but viewed physical attractiveness as the most important characteristic in a sexual partner. Males also considered financial resources as a least important characteristic when thinking of an ideal romantic partner. Implications of this study are discussed.