Men don't need to splash the cash to impress women! Study reveals spending just £40 is enough to get in the good books
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Forget fancy dinners and flashy gifts – women are actually less attracted to men who are too generous, according to a new study.
Researchers have found that women looking for a long–term relationship prefer men who are willing to give to charity, but only up to a point.
When a man gave too much away it was seen as an 'impractical extreme' – and made women lose interest.
The sweet spot, the study revealed, involved a man being 'moderately altruistic'.
In an experiment, this involved him being willing to give away £40, but no more, for a good cause.
However, for those after a short fling, a more extravagant gesture of £75 was ideal.
'Our findings reveal a context–dependent preference: moderate–cost altruism was rated as most attractive in long–term relationship scenarios, while high–cost altruism was more strongly favoured in short–term contexts,' the study, which has not yet been peer–reviewed, reads.
The study revealed that spending the equivalent of £40 was the romantic sweet spot for women looking for a long–term relations. Spending more, however, was more desirable in those looking for a fling
For the study, a team from the University of Oxford asked 1,000 women – including ones from the UK – to rate a made–up man named Adrian.
They were told he was handsome, socially desirable and earned nearly £100,000 a year. In a range of scenarios he donated different amounts to charity, from nothing up to the equivalent of £75.
Participants were then asked to judge his appeal as either a short–term or long–term partner.
Analysis revealed that for those wanting a long–term relationship, just under £40 proved the ideal amount to donate.
The attractiveness of the fictional man rose as his generosity increased from giving nothing to parting with this amount.
But his desirability fell sharply when the donation reached £75 – except for in the 'short fling' scenario.
The researchers said a moderate level of generosity signals traits that women value in a long–term partner, such as kindness, emotional stability and a willingness to help others, without appearing reckless with money.
High–cost altruism, when men give away more money, might 'evoke perceptions of impracticality, poor resource management or even moral grandstanding'.
'High–cost altruistic acts may signal high genetic quality, whereas moderate–cost altruism may be more indicative of a prosocial disposition and strong parenting potential,' the researchers wrote.
The findings support the 'do–gooder derogation' theory, which suggests that people who appear excessively charitable or virtuous can provoke scepticism and even a backlash from others.
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