Cads and Dads on Screen: Do Media Representations of Partner Scarcity Affect Partner Preferences Among College-Aged Women?

Two laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of exposure to varying media representations of partner availability on the traits women found desirable in potential romantic and sexual partners. In each study, after watching media narratives featuring either an abundance or scarcity of male prospective sexual partners, women indicated their interest in hypothetical sexual partners with characteristics typical of the Cad (e.g., aggressive, promiscuous) or Dad (e.g. devoted, upright) for long-term and short-term relationships. Viewing any romantic narrative caused a decline in interest in a partner with Cad traits, particularly for a short-term relationship. Viewing romantic narratives in which romantic relationships were framed in terms of male abundance caused women with short-term relationship goals to be less interested in a partner with Dad traits; viewing the male scarcity trailers caused a similar reduction for women with long-term relationship goals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]