Next time you read about 'what women want,' check the research -- it's likely to be flimsy

sfgate.com ^ | January 4, 2006 | Reyhan Harmanci

[Chiapet]

What exactly do women want out of life? Regardless of the complexity of the question, the answers are readily available by the hundreds. All you have to do is pick up a magazine, newspaper or "self-help" book and all will be revealed, neatly simplified, packaged and made readily digestible for a readership with an apparently insatiable curiosity about the desires and needs of women.

But how accurate are those answers? And more to the point, how reliable is the research upon which they are based?

In her new book "Are Men Necessary?" (Putman; $25.95; 352 pages), New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd writes that there is "an epidemic of professional women missing out on husbands and kids." But a University of Michigan study shows that the percentage of married women with advanced degrees has grown, not shrunk, over time.

...snip...

Dowd writes in her book that success disadvantages women seeking to marry and have a family. In an excerpt published in the Oct. 30 issue of the New York Times Magazine, Dowd wrote, "Women moving up still strive to marry up. Men moving up still tend to marry down. The two sexes' going in opposite directions has led to an epidemic of professional women missing out on husbands and kids."

To support this argument, she cites a small-scale study of 120 male and 208 female undergraduates by University of Michigan psychologist Stephanie Brown and UCLA psychologist Brian Lewis that found men would rather marry women in subordinate jobs. Dowd also relied on a British study that used data from a group of men and women born in 1921, which found that women's "desirability" dropped as their IQs increased.

[Chiapet]

Interesting article on the bad research that reporters use to support their women's trends articles. Surprise surprise, it appears that Maureen Dowd used questionable research in her book.

[Ouderkirk]

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Is Dowd saying her desirability dropped, because she has a high IQ? Is this a "woe is me" type of rant from her?

[Ouderkirk]

Dowd's IQ is inversely proportional to her (age*weight*girth)^2

[Buck W.]

Wow--that's some IQ.

[Chiapet]

That's what it sounded like to me. Especially since, after she was confronted with her bad research, she essentially recanted the statement saying that it wasn't intended to be taken seriously.

[Chiapet]

Sorry, I forgot the rule :)

[atomicpossum]

What do women want?

"Tupperware."

[Ichneumon]

Is Dowd saying her desirability dropped, because she has a high IQ? Is this a "woe is me" type of rant from her?

More like she's preparing her excuses.

[Millee]

I'm too good to you ping...

[Chiapet]

This has nothing to do with the article, but wasn't it WKRP that had the episode with the Thanksgiving turkey drop?

[Maximus of Texas]

Thank you very much.

Please note that this gesture of kindness does not remove your obligation to pay off your bets.

[babyface00]

I believe you're right.

Wasn't there a line something along the lines of "but I thought Turkeys could fly..."?

[Chiapet]

yep, that was the one...

[Prime Choice]

Dowd writes in her book that success disadvantages women seeking to marry and have a family.

[Laserman]

Dumpy Dowd is just making excuses for her failure in the love and marriage department. Trying to make herself feel better.

[Lazamataz]

Women want

[Prime Choice]

Wasn't there a line something along the lines of "but I thought Turkeys could fly..."?

Mmmmm...could be!

[VOA]

Even Freud couldn't figure it out after a lifetime of work...
(well, if you call psychiatry work)

[ExcursionGuy84]

Turkey's CAN & DO FLY...they just can't get very high (50 feet) in their altitude.