Summary: A large international study finds that many women are more attracted to risk-taking men for short-term relationships. Preferences vary with relationship context and women’s health status: women in better health or with greater access to healthcare show stronger attraction to risk-taking men than women from other socioeconomic or health backgrounds.
Source: University of Western Australia
A new study led by researchers at the University of Western Australia examines whether women prefer risk-taking men over more cautious partners, and identifies the key factors that shape that preference.
Published in Evolutionary Psychological Science, the study applies an evolutionary perspective to female mate preferences, showing that both relationship context and a woman’s health status play central roles. The research surveyed more than 1,300 women across 47 countries to explore how attraction to male risk-taking differs for short-term versus long-term partnerships and how socioeconomic and health conditions influence these choices.
Lead author Dr. Cyril Grueter, from UWA’s School of Human Sciences, reports that the data consistently show risk-taking men tend to be rated as more attractive for short-term or casual relationships than for long-term commitments.
“For casual sexual liaisons, women often prefer bold, risk‑taking men who may signal strong genetic quality—these are the so-called ‘cads’,” Dr. Grueter said. “By contrast, when considering a serious long-term relationship, women place greater emphasis on commitment and reliability.”
A notable finding is that women who report better personal health and those living in countries with greater healthcare access are more likely to find risk-taking men attractive, particularly for brief relationships. Dr. Goodman, a co-author, points out that easier access to contraception and reproductive healthcare may reduce the long-term costs of short-term encounters, allowing some women to prioritize perceived genetic benefits over potential declines in paternal investment.
The study also found variation by sexual orientation and individual risk attitudes: bisexual women and women who describe themselves as sensation-seeking or risk-prone showed stronger preferences for physically daring men than heterosexual women or women who avoid risk.
“Bisexual women may have different norms or expectations about relationship forms, and pairing with partners who share similar attitudes toward risk and novelty can increase mutual satisfaction,” Dr. Grueter added.
Study details and context
Researchers used a structured survey instrument to measure preferences for male physical risk-taking among 1,304 women from 47 countries. The analysis confirmed earlier findings that male risk takers are generally preferred for short-term mating contexts, and extended those insights by examining how personal health, national health conditions, and COVID-19 risk relate to those preferences.
Self-reported health correlated positively with a preference for high-risk men as short-term partners. Interestingly, this effect depended on country-level health: the association between a woman’s health and her attraction to risk-takers was more pronounced in countries with poorer overall health indicators. The authors interpret this as evidence that personal and societal health resources shape the trade-offs women may make between genetic benefits and the potential costs of lower paternal investment.
Contrary to what some might expect, perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 did not predict stronger avoidance of risk-taking men. The authors suggest that the COVID-19 threat is a recent, rapidly changing environmental cue that may not yet have influenced evolved mate-preference mechanisms.
About this attraction and psychology research news
Author: Press Office, University of Western Australia
Source: University of Western Australia
Contact: Press Office – University of Western Australia
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access. “Preference for Male Risk Takers Varies with Relationship Context and Health Status but not COVID Risk” by Cyril C. Grueter et al., published in Evolutionary Psychological Science.
Abstract
Preference for Male Risk Takers Varies with Relationship Context and Health Status but not COVID Risk
Male risk taking is more common than female risk taking and can function as a signal of intrinsic quality to potential mates. Prior work shows male risk takers are often judged more attractive for short-term encounters than long-term partnership. However, the environmental and socioeconomic factors that shape female preferences for male risk takers have been less well studied.
Using survey data from 1,304 women across 47 countries, the authors found that preference for physically risky men was stronger among bisexual women and among women who scored high on risk proneness. Self-reported health was positively associated with preference for high risk takers as short-term mates; this effect was moderated by country-level health, with the association stronger in nations with poorer overall health metrics.
The security provided by better personal health and access to healthcare may allow women to pursue potential genetic benefits from selecting risk-prone males while buffering the possible costs of lower paternal investment. The risk of contracting COVID-19 did not predict avoidance of risk takers, suggesting this novel environmental cue may not yet have shaped mate-preference patterns.