Researchers from the University of California at Davis have proven this by studying the data of more than 6,000 singles, aged 22 to 85, who took part in the game of blind dates. The panel, balanced between men and women, mainly brought together participants who had met people of the opposite sex. Before these meetings, each completed a questionnaire specifying their criteria, particularly in terms of age.
The verdict? Singles show a slight preference for partners younger than themselves. “After a blind date, participants were slightly more attracted to younger partners. This trend applies to both men and women,” says Paul Eastwick, professor of psychology at UC Davis and lead author of the study, in a statement.
This inclination towards youth is particularly astonishing in the case of women. In heterosexual couples, it is commonly accepted that men are often older than their partners. Women, for their part, often say they favor older partners, perceived as more stable or mature. “But women’s preferences on blind dates revealed something else entirely,” says Paul Eastwick.
Youth above all
The researchers wanted to check whether wealthy women prefer young ephebes, as the “cougar” stereotype dictates. As a result, age remains the dominant criterion, well beyond financial considerations. Even among women earning a good living, this preference for younger partners seems more linked to attraction than to any logic of status or wealth.
However, one question remains unanswered: does this inclination towards youth lead to strong long-term relationships? While the study does not directly address this point, Paul Eastwick suggests that this age bias could be a reflection of unconscious mechanisms. “Young people are perceived as slightly more attractive on a first meeting,” he explains.
The role of age in the choice of spouse has been the subject of numerous studies. They highlight a structural asymmetry specific to heterosexual couples. In most of these unions, the man is older than the woman. This almost universal norm transcends cultures and eras. What changes is the magnitude of the age gap, which varies according to historical and geographic contexts. For many sociologists, this trend reflects a widely shared cultural rule according to which men are more attracted to “younger” women, while women prefer older partners.
This study invites us to go beyond clichés and rethink the dynamics of romantic attraction. In a context marked by unprecedented aging of populations in developed countries, a fundamental question emerges. Can love continue to blossom over the years? The impulses of the heart seem to resist the passage of time.