Daddy's money or theirs: Do women choose immediate or future resources in potential mates?

Nicole Ko et al.

"One of the most enduring stereotypes surrounding women is that they are inherently drawn to material possessions. Extensive research on mating preferences has demonstrated that women indeed have evolved a mating preference for resources, which has largely reinforced such stereotypes. However, the exploration of this mating preference has remained surface-level without looking deeper into its nuanced dimensions. Do all women share the same preference for resources? Are there different facets of resources that certain women prioritise over others? Have women who prioritise character or personality completely overridden the evolved mechanisms that prioritise resources? The current paper aims to answer these questions using the main principles of Parental Investment Theory (Trivers, 1972) and Sexual Strategies Theory (Buss & Schmitt, 1993). We aim to demonstrate the complexity of women’s mate preferences, especially in expressing a preference for character, such as ambition, over wealth or vice versa. Through understanding the intricacies of women’s preference for resources, the paper seeks to challenge simplistic stereotypes attached to this mating preference."