AGE PREFERENCES ACROSS SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS Emily A. Graham, Tara M. Young & Angela G. Pirlott

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Age preferences research with gay men and lesbians suggests sex differences underlie mate preferences: Gay and heterosexual men prefer younger partners; an age gap that increases with men’s age. Lesbian and heterosexual women prefer older partners; this tendency remains stable across women’s age. We sought to extend the literature by examining whether these age preferences replicate for bisexuals, given their interest in both sexes. Thus, our study examined age preferences in short- and long- term relationships in heterosexual, bisexual and gay/lesbian men and women. Additionally, we aimed to discover whether age preferences varied as a function of participant sex or sexual orientation.

METHOD

Across sexual orientations, men’s oldest partner age preference decreased with men’s age whereas women’s oldest age preference remained consistent across their ages—slightly older. Men’s youngest age preference decreased strongly with men’s age. Older women reported a willingness to date younger men; this relative age gap increased with women’s age. These results support the evolutionary perspective that men prefer partners whose age reflects fertility, whereas women prefer somewhat older partners. Their increased interest, however, in younger men as they age suggests nuance in women’s mate preferences not previously accounted for by an evolutionary perspective. No results significantly differed by perceiver sexual orientation or target sex for bisexuals, only by perceiver sex; suggesting evolved sex differences underlie mate preferences across sexual orientation groups and target sex.

INTRODUCTION

CORRELATIONAL RESULTS: Perceiver Age & Preferred Partner’s Age (Relative to Their Own Age)

Participants: 581 Heterosexual, Bisexual, and Gay/Lesbian Men and WomenMean age= 27 years, range 18-65

Design & Procedure:Participants reported their age along with the ages of both the youngest and oldest individuals they would consider dating in both a short- and long- term relationship. Bisexuals answered questions for both male and female targets. We then analyzed their age preferences relative to their own age by subtracting their age from the youngest and oldest partner age preference (i.e., positive scores indicate older partner ages) and examined the correlation between participants' age and their long- and short-term partner age preferences.

  

Male Participants Female Participants

   Gay Men:

Male TargetsBisexual Men: Male Targets

Bisexual Men:Female Targets

Straight Men:Female Targets

Lesbians:Female Targets

Bisexual Women: Female Targets

Bisexual Women:

Male Targets

Straight Women:Male Targets

Long-Term Partner

Youngest -.81*** -.84*** -.85*** -.79*** -.71*** -.72*** -.61*** -.61***

Oldest -.38** -.25** -.31** -.24* .03 .04 .15 -.18

Short-Term Partner

Youngest -.89*** -.89*** -.72*** -.88*** -.75*** -.61*** -.79*** -.64***

Oldest -.36** -.29** -.27** -.33** .04 .14 .06 -.17

Note. ***p < .001, **p < .01, *p < .05.

DISCUSSION

This research was supported in part by the UWEC Faculty Student Research Collaboration Grant Email: pirlotag@uwec.edu