What College Women Want - Do for skeletal summary
WHAT COLLEGE WOMEN WANT IN A MARRIAGE PARTNER. By: O'reilly, Sarah, Knox, David, Zusman, Marty,
College Student Journal, 01463934, Jun2009 Part B, Vol. 43, Issue 2
Database: Academic Search Premier
WHAT COLLEGE WOMEN WANT IN A MARRIAGE PARTNER
One-hundred-and-ninety seven undergraduates at a large southeastern university completed a confidential anonymous
22-item questionnaire designed to assess the qualities college women want in their prospective marital partners. The
data revealed that women (when compared to what men want in a partner) were significantly more likely to
prefer men who were "considerate," "dependable," and "intelligent." Women are moving away from viewing potential
partners exclusively in instrumental terms of ability to provide money for them, as well as subsequent children, and
toward viewing men in terms of more "expressive" qualities such as consideration, dependability, and intelligence.
Implications and limitations of the data are suggested.
Oklahoma Crude is a vintage film featuring the late George C. Scott and Faye Dunaway. The story takes place on top of
a hill where Faye Dunaway has hired George C. Scott to protect her and her oil rig from imposing villains (led by Jack
Palance) who want her property. One scene includes a drunken unshaven Scott lumbering over to the cabin where
Dunaway is staying. She says to him as he gets within six inches of her face, "I know what you want," to which he
replies, "No you don't." She then says, "Yes I do…. I know what men want!"
The scene reflects cultural assumptions about men and women. This study is not about men but
about what women want in a prospective marital partner. Previous researchers on what women want in a future partner
have found that women place higher emphasis on financial and emotional stability, good parenting skills, and equal or
higher education (Lewis and Oppenheimer, 2000; Ganong and Coleman, 1992). A team of researchers also noted
that womenseek an attractive partner (Lacey, Reifman, Scott, Harris, and Fitzpatrick, 2004).
Sample and Methods
The sample consisted of 197 undergraduates at a large southeastern university who responded to an anonymous 22-item
questionnaire designed to assess the value men and women assign to various qualities. Seventy-one percent of the
respondents were female; twenty-nine percent were male. The median age of the respondents was 19 (age range 17 to
48) with most (80%) reporting that they were white and 20% nonwhite. Most (95%) had never been married. In regard
to current relationship, almost a quarter (24%) were not involved with anyone, 14% were dating different people, 41%
were dating or emotionally involved with one person. Seventeen percent were engaged or living together and 4% were
married.
In order to determine whether differences existed between men and women in their preferences, difference of means
tests were run. We note that additional tests were made to assure that the ordinal categories (Strongly Agree to Strongly
Disagree) were capable of being treated as interval for the means tests and they were. In each case, the appropriate ttest and degrees of freedom have not been included for the sake of brevity. What is included are the means for each
category of the independent variable and the appropriate significance level.
Significant Findings and Discussion
Analysis of the data revealed several significant differences.
1. Women want a marital partner who is "considerate." Women were significantly (p< .01) more likely to value "being
considerate" as an essential trait in a future spouse. The closer the number to 1, the lower the value for "considerate" (1
= "this quality is not important at all"; the closer the number to 5, the higher the value for "considerate" ("this quality is
essential") (the comparisons below will use these same numbers). The Means for men and women on this variable were
4.36 and 4.65 respectively.
That women place a higher value on their potential marital partner being considerate is not surprising. Men as
considerate partners may be more likely to favor an egalitarian relationship. Geary, Vigil and Byrd-Craven (2004)
reviewed Buss's research findings which showed that "women rated a prospective husband who was kind,
understanding, and intelligent more highly than a prospective husband who was none of these but had the potential to
become culturally successful" (p. 31). In "middle-class and upper-middle-class Western cultures," women want men that
have the ability to develop "an intimate and emotionally satisfying relationship" (p.31).
2. Women want a marital partner who is "dependable." Women were significantly (p< .02) more likely to value "being
dependable" as an essential trait in a future spouse. The Means for men and women on this variable were 4.45 and 4.81
respectively. Oppenheimer (1997) suggested that, "women's increasing market work has
discouraged marriage foundation and encouraged marital instability" (p. 433). Now that women no longer need
the man to provide for them economically, women can afford to be more selective of a mate and indeed, even choose to
never take a spouse. If a woman does choose to marry, the manmust meet higher standards of education, financial and
emotional stability, and dependability.
Increasingly women are rearing children as single parents. Unhappy economically secure women no longer feel
obligated to stay with their husbands because they can provide for themselves/children; they also feel that divorce is
less stigmatized than previously. Women of today want dependable men as fathers for their children and husbands for
themselves.
3. Women want a marital partner who is "intelligent." Women were significantly (p< .001) more likely to value "being
intelligent" as an essential trait in a future spouse. The means for men and women on this variable were 3.89 and 4.31
respectively. Women's preference for an intelligent partner may be in reference to their own intellectual pursuits. The
U.S. Census Educational Attainment of the Population Report (Stoops, 2004) revealed that women are quickly catching
up to men in terms of degree achievement. 2003 data, 26% of women had earned a bachelor's degree (an increase of
almost 7 percentage points), 29% of men had earned the same degree (and increase of approximately 4 percentage
points), and statistically more women than men at age twenty-five had graduated from high school (85% compared to
84.1%. Intelligence may also translate into greater financial stability and dependability.
Implications and Limitations
These data emphasize that women are moving away from viewing potential partners exclusively in instrumental terms
of ability to provide money for them/subsequent children and toward seeking men who have more "expressive"
qualities such as consideration, dependability, and intelligence. Women are not immune to seeking partners with
economic resources; but this focus may no longer dominate.
Men concerned about being selected by women as a potential mate might be aware that it is how they treat
the woman in terms of their kindness, consideration, and dependability rather than how much money they make
which is valued. That women also are seeking intellectual companions also alerts the male that women are seeking
PARTNERS to enjoy, not bank accounts to access.
There are several limitations of this study. First, the data should be interpreted cautiously. The convenience sample of
respondents is hardly representative of the 16 million college students throughout the United States (Statistical Abstract
of the United States: 2007 Table 266) .These data are also quantitative with no qualitative interviews to provide insights
on the raw statistics. Subsequent research might include interviews with college women to elicit revelations about their
perceptions of men and what they want in a partner.
Finally, subsequent research should move beyond the exploratory analysis of these data to multi-variate analysis to
develop a more complete and accurate understanding of the partner preference.
References
Becker, G. S. 1981 A Treatise on the Family. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Buss, D.M. 1989 Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypothesis tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral
and Brain Sciences 12: 1-49.
Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, U.S. Census Bureau. 2003.
Gallmeier, C. P., M. E. Zusman, D. Knox, and L. Gibson. 1997 Can we talk? Gender differences in disclosure patterns
and perceptions. Free Inquiry in Creative Sociology 25: 129-225.
Geary, D., J. Vigil and J. Byrd-Craven. 2004 Evolution of Human Mate Choice. Journal of Sex Research 41: 27-43.
Ganong, L. W. and M. Coleman. 1992. Gender differences in expectations of self and future partner. Journal of Family
Issues 13: 55-64
Lacey, R., A. Reifman, J. P. Scott, S. Harris, and J. Fitzpatrick. 2004 Sexual-moral attitudes, love styles, and mate
selection. Journal of Sex Research 41: 121-129.
Lewis, S. K. and V. K. Oppenheimer. 2000 Educational assortive mating across marriage markets: Non-Hispanic whites
in the United States. Demography 37: 29-40
Lichter, D., C. Batson, and J. B. Brown. 2004 Welfare reform and marriage promotion: The marital expectations and
desires of single and cohabiting mothers. Social Service Review, 78: 2-26.
Oppenheimer, V. K. 1997 Women's employment and the gain to marriage: The specialization and trading model.
Annual Review of Sociology 23: 431-454.
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007. 126th ed. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Stoops, Nicole. 2004, Educational attainment in the United States: 2003. U.S. Census Bureau 2.
~~~~~~~~
By Sarah O'reilly, East Carolina University; David Knox, East Carolina University and Marty Zusman, Indiana
University Northwest
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WHAT COLLEGE WOMEN WANT IN A MARRIAGE PARTNER
One-hundred-and-ninety seven undergraduates at a large southeastern university completed a
confidential anonymous 22-item questionnaire designed to assess the qualities college women want in
their prospective marital partners. The data revealed that women (when compared
to what men want in a partner) were significantly more likely to prefer men who were "considerate,"
"dependable," and "intelligent." Women are moving away from viewing potential partners exclusively
in instrumental terms of ability to provide money for them, as well as subsequent children, and toward
viewing men in terms of more "expressive" qualities such as consideration, dependability, and
intelligence. Implications and limitations of the data are suggested.
Oklahoma Crude is a vintage film featuring the late George C. Scott and Faye Dunaway. The story
takes place on top of a hill where Faye Dunaway has hired George C. Scott to protect her and her oil
rig from imposing villains (led by Jack Palance) who want her property. One scene includes a drunken
unshaven Scott lumbering over to the cabin where Dunaway is staying. She says to him as he gets
within six inches of her face, "I know what you want," to which he replies, "No you don't." She then
says, "Yes I do…. I know what men want!"
The scene reflects cultural assumptions about men and women. This study is not about men but
about what women want in a prospective marital partner. Previous researchers
on what women want in a future partner have found that women place higher emphasis on financial
and emotional stability, good parenting skills, and equal or higher education (Lewis and Oppenheimer,
2000; Ganong and Coleman, 1992). A team of researchers also noted that womenseek an attractive
partner (Lacey, Reifman, Scott, Harris, and Fitzpatrick, 2004).
Sample and Methods
The sample consisted of 197 undergraduates at a large southeastern university who responded to an
anonymous 22-item questionnaire designed to assess the value men and women assign to various
qualities. Seventy-one percent of the respondents were female; twenty-nine percent were male. The
median age of the respondents was 19 (age range 17 to 48) with most (80%) reporting that they were
white and 20% nonwhite. Most (95%) had never been married. In regard to current relationship,
almost a quarter (24%) were not involved with anyone, 14% were dating different people, 41% were
dating or emotionally involved with one person. Seventeen percent were engaged or living together
and 4% were married.
In order to determine whether differences existed between men and women in their preferences,
difference of means tests were run. We note that additional tests were made to assure that the ordinal
categories (Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree) were capable of being treated as interval for the
means tests and they were. In each case, the appropriate t-test and degrees of freedom have not been
included for the sake of brevity. What is included are the means for each category of the independent
variable and the appropriate significance level.
Significant Findings and Discussion
Analysis of the data revealed several significant differences.
1. Women want a marital partner who is "considerate." Women were significantly (p< .01) more likely
to value "being considerate" as an essential trait in a future spouse. The closer the number to 1, the
lower the value for "considerate" (1 = "this quality is not important at all"; the closer the number to 5,
the higher the value for "considerate" ("this quality is essential") (the comparisons below will use these
same numbers). The Means for men and women on this variable were 4.36 and 4.65 respectively.
That women place a higher value on their potential marital partner being considerate is not
surprising. Men as considerate partners may be more likely to favor an egalitarian relationship. Geary,
Vigil and Byrd-Craven (2004) reviewed Buss's research findings which showed that "women rated a
prospective husband who was kind, understanding, and intelligent more highly than a prospective
husband who was none of these but had the potential to become culturally successful" (p. 31). In
"middle-class and upper-middle-class Western cultures," women want men that have the ability to
develop "an intimate and emotionally satisfying relationship" (p.31).
2. Women want a marital partner who is "dependable." Women were significantly (p< .02) more likely
to value "being dependable" as an essential trait in a future spouse. The Means for men and women on
this variable were 4.45 and 4.81 respectively. Oppenheimer (1997) suggested that, "women's increasing
market work has discouraged marriage foundation and encouraged marital instability" (p. 433). Now
that women no longer need the man to provide for them economically, women can afford to be more
selective of a mate and indeed, even choose to never take a spouse. If a woman does choose to marry,
the manmust meet higher standards of education, financial and emotional stability, and dependability.
Increasingly women are rearing children as single parents. Unhappy economically secure women no
longer feel obligated to stay with their husbands because they can provide for themselves/children;
they also feel that divorce is less stigmatized than previously. Women of
today want dependable men as fathers for their children and husbands for themselves.
3. Women want a marital partner who is "intelligent." Women were significantly (p< .001) more likely
to value "being intelligent" as an essential trait in a future spouse. The means for men and women on
this variable were 3.89 and 4.31 respectively. Women's preference for an intelligent partner may be in
reference to their own intellectual pursuits. The U.S. Census Educational Attainment of the
Population Report (Stoops, 2004) revealed that women are quickly catching up to men in terms of
degree achievement. 2003 data, 26% of women had earned a bachelor's degree (an increase of almost 7
percentage points), 29% of men had earned the same degree (and increase of approximately 4
percentage points), and statistically more women than men at age twenty-five had graduated from
high school (85% compared to 84.1%. Intelligence may also translate into greater financial stability
and dependability.
Implications and Limitations
These data emphasize that women are moving away from viewing potential partners exclusively in
instrumental terms of ability to provide money for them/subsequent children and toward
seeking men who have more "expressive" qualities such as consideration, dependability, and
intelligence. Women are not immune to seeking partners with economic resources; but this focus may
no longer dominate.
Men concerned about being selected by women as a potential mate might be aware that it is how they
treat the woman in terms of their kindness, consideration, and dependability rather than how much
money they make which is valued. That women also are seeking intellectual companions also alerts
the male that women are seeking PARTNERS to enjoy, not bank accounts to access.
There are several limitations of this study. First, the data should be interpreted cautiously. The
convenience sample of respondents is hardly representative of the 16 million college students
throughout the United States (Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2007 Table 266) .These data are
also quantitative with no qualitative interviews to provide insights on the raw statistics. Subsequent
research might include interviews with college women to elicit revelations about their perceptions
of men and what they want in a partner.
Finally, subsequent research should move beyond the exploratory analysis of these data to multivariate analysis to develop a more complete and accurate understanding of the partner preference.
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