Researchers at University of Massachusetts, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Arizona State University explored romance during the pandemic. They were curious to learn the most valued qualities in a mate during COVID, and whether these varied from before. Perhaps unsurprisingly they looked to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for material.
Probing a Mate’s Most Valued Qualities During COVID
Authorities requested individuals to stay at home, and avoid face-to-face socializing during lock down. This could have triggered the increased use of online dating services. Study author Cassandra Alexopoulos and her colleagues wondered whether romantic partner preferences remained the same.
Did fear of being single and alone make suitors less selective, they wondered. To the contrary, they expected the most valued criteria would be financial stability, good physical health, and family communication during the pandemic. But would this turn out to be the case when they investigated responses to COVID risk?
Investigating Partner Preferences in Light of COVID Fear
The team from Massachusetts, Rotterdam, and Arizona recruited 2,614 participants from Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. They were at least 18 years old, single, casually dating / in a romantic relationship, and mostly (78%) female. The researchers first assessed them to gauge their fear of catching COVID.
They found fear of COVID increased desire for partner stability and family commitment, when they factored in dating preferences. It also grew their preference for physical / social attractiveness which they had not expected.
However, participants with high fear of being single behaved differently. They were more attracted to love, belonging, and social connection than physical / social attractiveness. The researchers point out there was no evidence of the two situations causing those preferences. They simply observed the correlations, which are certainly food for thought.
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