Women don't prioritize looks when choosing a partner, study finds

Women place far less emphasis on physical appearance when selecting a male partner than commonly assumed, according to new research.

A team led by Dr. Marius Stavang of the psychology department at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology surveyed 1,182 Norwegian adults between the ages of 18 and 60, publishing the results recently in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

Participants were asked to indicate the minimum acceptable level for 18 partner characteristics, including intelligence, maturity and physical attractiveness.

On body type, 35 percent of women said they would date a man with a below-average physique, while only 23 percent listed a good body as a minimum requirement. The remaining 42 percent chose a standard somewhere between the two.

Height standards were similarly modest. Only 5 percent of women said their partner must be at least about 183 centimeters tall, while 85 percent said they would date a man shorter than about 178 centimeters.

On facial appearance, half of men and 35 percent of women listed above-average looks as a minimum requirement in a partner. Stavang said women's standards for physical attractiveness did not appear excessive, and some fell below the expected population average.

Sex expert George Curley told The Sun the findings came as no surprise. "Generally speaking, men who don't have a gym-sculpted body or aren't over 180 centimeters tall tend to have better personalities and are better in bed," he said.

"Six-packs are overrated. Women don't want a man who spends more time looking in the mirror than they do," he added. "There's nothing less attractive than a man on a dating app showing off his muscles with his shirt off."