14 DAY TRIAL // They say all the good men are taken and, as a new study shows beyond any doubt, this is precisely why women go mostly for married men in their romantic pursuits, to the detriment of bachelors. It’s called “mate poaching” (soon to be renamed “the Angelina Jolie effect”) and, it seems, it is one of the most common practices among ladies looking for a partner, as their attention is first directed to men who are either in serious relationships or are married, The Telegraph informs.
While the same does not apply to men too, it seems that the almost irresistible attraction women feel towards married men has something to do with their fear of a failed relationship because of committing issues on his behalf. This way, when they set their eyes on a married man, they inadvertently note that he is reliable, not afraid to commit as he has already been given a “trial run” by another woman. However, whether the lady doing the eyeing actually makes a move for the kill is an entirely different story, the study has found.
One hundred single and married women were shown the picture of a man and then asked whether they would get romantically involved with him. Depending on the case, the status of the man was either single or attached and, clearly, this made all the difference for most women in the group. The married ones seemed to favor an affair only when they knew the man was single, which could indicate they respected the institution of marriage or that they were looking for a “free spirit.” Those who were single though chose the married man without even flinching.
Still, a woman is less likely to lure a man out of his marriage, as opposed to how a man would act in a similar situation. The same study has shown that the gents may prefer single women but, when it comes to starting a relationship, they have no remorse in breaking up a happy pair. On the same note, one in five long-term relationships start when at least one of the partners is already involved with someone else, the same study has learned.
“This finding indicates that single women are considerably more interested in pursuing a man who is less available to them. This may be because a man who is attached has already shown his ability to commit and, in a sense, has been pre-screened by another woman. The results showed that only single women were more interested in pursuing an attached target rather than a single target.” the researchers write in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, as quoted by the aforementioned publication.