Changing Wants

Research in the Journal of Family Issues by Boxer et al. was illustrated by Max Roser at Our World of Data in the graphic above. From survey results that date back to the 1930s, college students ranked the importance of 18 traits of a prospective mate, via datavizblog, via techinsider.

Here are the ranking results from Boxer et al.:

Their research questions wondered if more recent surveys from 1985, 1996, and 2008 showed increasing importance to men of "good financial prospect." It had only partial support. Their next question wondered if there was increasing importance among women for "good cook and housekeeper" and "desire for home and children". It had no support. Finally, they wondered if there would be decreasing importance among women for "good financial prospect". It had no support.

The graphic above takes their widest view of mate preferences where "mutual attraction - love", "education - intelligence", "sociability", "good lucks", and "good financial prospect" have increased in importance since 1939 for both sexes. "Desire for home, children" has increased for men but decreased for women. And for men "ambition and industriousness" has dropped since 1939. "Chastity" has decreased in importance for both sexes.