They say actions speak louder than words — especially for women.
A recent study published in Evolutionary Psychological Science has found that women prefer small acts of service — like helping with chores or cooking a meal — over verbal expressions of affection, such as “I love you” or “I’m here for you,” compared to men.
These simple behaviors, sometimes overlooked in today’s bizarre dating world, may carry deeper meaning than sweet talk, especially during the early stages of dating.
The study, which involved over 500 heterosexual adults in China, used a series of experiments to compare how people react to sweet talk — like saying “I miss you” — versus sweet actions — like doing the dishes or running an errand.
While physical checkboxes like job, looks, height are things people look for — especially on dating apps — where genders differ, it is that women look for signs that a potential suitor is dependable and “willing to invest in the relationship.”
Whereas men keep an eye out for “immediate emotional or sexual interest,” as explained by Psy Post.
Based on the evidence found in all three experiments, researchers found that women viewed the “action-oriented” partners as warmer and more trustworthy.
Men didn’t show as strong a preference either way, and some even leaned slightly toward sweet words.
Researchers say this difference may come down to how men and women evaluate long-term relationship potential.
While actions go a long way, another thing women have to be on the lookout for when dating is whether the guy they’re seeing is a psychopath.
If your new Hinge match seems to have a lot of game and reveals that they’ve had a lot of hookups in their life — you might want to run for the hills.
“Individuals who have elevated levels of traits associated with a fast life history (like the Dark Triad/Tetrad traits, or sociosexuality) use visual social media platforms more intensely,” study author Lennart Freyth, research director of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Institute and a professor at the Hochschule Döpfer University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, told PsyPost.
“When I started my research in the area of dating apps and social media, I dived deeper into theoretical explanations of our behavior,” Freyth said. “Considering personality a behavioral disposition, I was indeed wondering: Why was nobody going for the most obvious elements of dating apps?”
