Flashy Cars Help Land Dates, Not Wives

I’m sure it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out, though from the looks of it, some Ph.D.’s were involved. You think James Bond “dated” so many women just because he’s dashing, handsome, well-dressed and speaks with a British accent? No, it had to be the Aston Martin.

Men who engage in “splashy” spending are sending signals to women that suggests they’re looking to date and that they are “interesting,” Jill Sundie, a marketing professor the University of Texas at San Antonio, told Reuters.

Researchers surveyed nearly 1,000 men and women in four different studies to determine the findings.

The results show that while wasteful spending improves the chances for a fling, it also has the side effect of keeping one single, compared with more frugal-minded suitors who end up in more long-term relationships, Sundie said.

Researchers say that’s because slapdash spending is a turn-off for women seeking “marriage material.” If you want to put a ring on it, you have to buy a Honda Civic?

Of course, these are just correlations. Not all men drive-to-impress just to gain women’s attention, and not all women are attracted to such opulence.

Study: Women Dig Dudes Driving Hot Cars (Reuters)