In an effort to help me post more often, I hope to share some of the more 'unusual' research that I see at UMN around me (as well as some of my own). So, thinking that some of you ladies might be interested in this- particularly those who are thinking about baby OR those who are trying to assess if they are with Mr. Right - I give you the following...

University of Minnesota psychology professor Jeff Simpson, along with colleague and U grad Steve Gangestad of the University of New Mexico, conducted a detailed study in which 76 men were videotaped trying to "win" a date with an attractive woman.

The short and skinny on their findings -
Women found men who displayed short-term mating behaviors more attractive, but only when they were ovulating and evaluating men as possible short-term (rather than long-term) mates. In a second study, another group of women evaluated the interviewed men in terms of their mate characteristics. Long-term traits included adjectives such as warm, faithful, and financially successful, and short-term traits were terms such as influential, arrogant, and sexy. Once again, women found men who displayed short-term traits more attractive, but mainly when they were ovulating and rating the men as possible short-term mates.

So, don't waste your hard earned dollars on ovulation kits - when you are most attracted to the intriguing lawyer/politician/reporter - you just might be ovulating. If you are suddenly finding that cute, (and well paid!) computer geek/dentist/accountant appealing - you may not be your most fertile.

Here's my favorite quote from Simpson, "Women's mating is more complex and context dependent than we ever imagined"... no kidding, eh?

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