Work

Cross-cultural variation in partner preferences: some gender gaps are larger under restrictive gender norms

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Men and women differ in which characteristics they prioritise when choosing a romantic partner (e.g., on average, women place greater emphasis on the ability of partners to provide resources, and men place greater emphasis on physical attractiveness and youthfulness). However, researchers have disagreed over whether these gender gaps in partner preferences vary across cultures, specifically in relation to national levels of gender equality, given the inconsistencies in the previous literature. Here, using an open-access partner preference dataset (14,399 participants from 45 countries), we examined whether gender gaps in partner preferences correlate with the restrictiveness of societal gender norms, estimated via the Gender Social Norm Index . The analyses showed that the gender gap in preference for ‘ good financial prospects ’ was larger in countries with more restrictive gender norms, and the size of the age gap between self and partner exhibited the same pattern. These relationships were not replicated when using cultural tightness as a measure of the restrictiveness of social norms in general, which suggests that the findings specifically relate to gender norms. These results, which support the hypothesis that partner preferences are sensitive to local cultural contexts, are discussed in relation to evolutionary psychology and biosocial models of partner preferences.

Source: Evolutionary Human Sciences

DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2026.10065

Authors: Jinwen Xie, Gillian R. Brown

Institution: University of St Andrews

Language: English

Topic: Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,550