PROUT Editor's note: In fact, these preferences are not rooted in evolution. Rather, that would be patriarchic propaganda dished out by the so-called researchers. Millions of years ago when human beings first originated on this earth, a matriarchal and matrilineal society was in place. It was only after many millenia had passed that men gradually subordinated women to their present degraded position. Brown and Lewis need to study the history of human civilization before distributing such flippant assumptions regarding results of their survey. It is only highly insecure men who feel the need to police their spouses and constantly check to see whether their spouses are maintaining fidelity to their husbands or not. That is the flaw, the fatal defect, in those men - and the study indicates that the majority of men suffer from this defect - it is not the fault of any woman. The fact that in this so-called study women were not particular as to a man's status in relationship to his desirability as a partner, it would be better if she ascertained carefully before marriage whether he is a man who prefers a coordinated relationship with his spouse or a subordinated one. If he opts for a subordinated one, then the woman should drop him like a ton of bricks!
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Reuters - December 30, 2004
NEW YORK - Men would rather marry their female assistants than equal-ranking women or their supervisors, according to social psychologists. The results are based on a study of men's ratings of imaginary women with different job titles, during which they judged them according to their appeal as a one-night stand, friend, or long-term partner.
Men's preferences for less-dominant women may be rooted in evolution, the
researchers suggest.
"Males who preferred to mate with relatively subordinate partners - as opposed to higher dominance partners - may have been better able to limit the chance - or amount - of paternal uncertainty, either by preventing their partner from having sex outside of the partnership or by being able to closely monitor their partner's sexual behavior for possible infidelity," write Stephanie L. Brown and Brian P. Lewis. Brown is based at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and Lewis at the University of California in Los Angeles.
Previous investigations into what type of mate men and women prefer have
defined dominance in different ways. Some studies, for instance, have described dominance by personality - such as aggressiveness - or by possession of desirable resources, such as status, fame or fortune.
Many of these studies, in contrast to the current research, found that men
did not appear to have a preference for women who were less dominant
than themselves, according to their definitions of dominance.
In the current study, Brown and Lewis based dominance on differences in rank
in the workplace, where dominant, potential mates have the ability to "exercise their own will at the expense of a less dominant other," they write in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.
During the study, 120 male and 208 female undergraduates read scenarios about different people at work, looked at their pictures, and noted how much
they would like to be associated them. All photos were deemed by judges
to be of people similar in age and attractiveness.
Men said they would prefer a less-dominant women both as long-term partners
and as friends they would enjoy doing things with, such as exercising and
going to a party.
In contrast, for women, a man's status had no influence on his desirability
as a partner.
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SOURCE: Evolution and Human Behavior, November 2004, and NHNE News List.
