Do Single Men and Women Who Want Children Prefer Older-Looking Faces in the Opposite Sex? [Health Talk]

[Financial News] A new study has found that men and women with a strong desire to have children are more attracted to partners with older-looking faces.
According to the Daily Mail on the 8th, Dr. Jingheng Li and his team at the University of Strathclyde analyzed the relationship between the desire for children and appearance preferences among 300 men and women with an average age of 30.
The researchers showed 50 facial images to 149 men and 151 women, all around 30 years old, and asked them to rate their attractiveness. The photos featured faces ranging from 19 to 55 years old. At the same time, participants completed a survey about their desire to have children and their willingness to raise them.
Overall, younger faces were generally rated as more attractive. However, among participants with a higher desire for children, there was a noticeable increase in the attractiveness ratings for older-looking faces. This pattern was observed in both men and women.
The research team explained, "It is likely that older-looking faces visually convey psychological stability or readiness for life."
Dr. Jingheng Li stated, "The desire to have children leads people to prefer facial features that symbolize overall maturity and preparedness, rather than extreme youthfulness."
He added, "Future studies with more sophisticated experimental designs are needed to identify the visual cues that signal maturity and to determine how biological and psychological factors interact."
This research was published in the December 4th issue of the international journal PLOS ONE.
Meanwhile, a separate study conducted in the United Kingdom found clear differences in mate selection criteria between men and women. Researchers surveyed over 1,200 adults to analyze preference gaps regarding six traits: appearance, wealth, humor, intelligence, kindness, and ambition.
The results showed that men preferred partners with attractive appearances and tended to want humor and financial capability for themselves. In contrast, women wanted to be more attractive and intelligent themselves, and even if their partner was less attractive, they expected them to have a good sense of humor and higher financial capability.
Dr. Bill von Hippel, who led the study, explained, "Men are comfortable dating attractive women even if they themselves are not seen as attractive, whereas women seem to place more importance on being perceived as attractive themselves."
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter