Scientists Compiled a Ranking of the Traits of an Ideal Life Partner.

A group of scientists from various countries surveyed over 10,000 people from 43 countries to study how the perception of an ideal partner corresponds to reality and how it affects relationships. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The scientists compared the ranking of ideal and real partners, examining their qualities that people like the most. It was previously believed that satisfaction in relationships depends on how well a partner matches our ideals, however, previous studies have yielded contradictory results.

Study Results

It turned out that people's preferences mostly coincide with their ideals, but there are some differences. Some traits, such as self-confidence, good listening skills, patience, and calmness, are valued more in ideals than in reality. Attributes more related to appearance have a higher rating among real preferences.

The study also showed a difference in the values that men and women attribute to attractiveness and earning potential in their partners. It turned out that both genders tend to underestimate the importance of attractiveness, but women do so even more decisively. At the same Time, men downplay the significance of ambition and financial stability.

The obtained data will help better understand the formation of relationships between people. It was found that the influence of aligning ideals is somewhat less for long-term couples than for new relationships.