Humans 'Attracted To Partners That Look Like Their Parents'

Ananova ^ | 1-8-2003

[blam]

Humans 'attracted to partners that look like their parents'

Researchers have concluded opposites do not necessarily actually attract.

A team of experts from St Andrews University found women are attracted to men who remind them of their fathers and men to women who look like their mothers.

They found that people are far more likely to marry those who look like their opposite sex parent, particularly when it comes to hair and eye colour.

Anthony Little, 25, who led the research, said: "We found that people really did pick partners who resembled their opposite sex parent.

"It is something a lot of people have never looked at or thought about, that their partner shares the same hair and eye colour of their mother or father. But there was clear evidence of this."

Dr Little, whose findings are published in this week's Evolution and Human Behaviour journal, says it is well-known that if a person or animal is constantly exposed to an image, they become more attracted to and comforted by it.

"There are obviously a number of other factors such as personality, etc, that people look for in their partner but it seems looks are important, whether a person knows it or not."

He added: "So the old saying that opposites attract really does seem to have been disproven. Rather, birds of a feather flock together, it seems."

The researchers say many animals, mainly birds and monkeys, also tended to choose partners which resembled their parents.

An earlier study by the St Andrews team found people with older parents are usually attracted to older-looking partners and youngsters in mixed-race marriages tend to be attracted to a person of the same colour as their opposite sex parent.

Story filed: 13:19 Wednesday 8th January 2003

[End Times Sentinel]

This definitely isn't true in my case.  However, you could make that arguement for my father and brother... what?  Lots of people have fathers who are also their brothers.

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[Blood of Tyrants]

It has been said for years that a woman marries a man who reminds her of her father (both physically and psychologically).

[socal_parrot]

My Mom- Dutch Hausfrau
My Wife- Lebanese Profressional

My Father-in-law- Fat-a$$ Drunk
Me- Don't Drink

[Intimidator]

This is total horses**t. My wife looks absolutely nothing like my mother. My sister's husband looks absolutely nothing like my father.

[That Subliminal Kid]

Well duhhh...

[Marysecretary]

Two of my sons did marry women who reminded me of me but another went for someone entirely different (slim, dark hair and skin) both times. Hmm, wonder what THAT means? (No, I really don't want to know.)

[Marysecretary]

Very astute, trebb!

[Hemingway's Ghost]

My wife: buxom brunette. My mother: skinny blonde. This study: shite.

[farmfriend]

A team of experts from St Andrews University found women are attracted to men who remind them of their fathers and men to women who look like their mothers.

This is such bull excrement.

[JMP]

........ I have been married twice and neither of my wives looked anythng like my Mother..........none of them married people who looked anything like either of their parents, even when there were multiple marriages. Hummmmmmm? ........
.
This study suggests that your families marriage failures could have something to do with choosing spouses that do not have the traits of the opposite sex parent. Hmmmmmm?

[moyden]

I WANT A GIRL (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad)

1911

Words by William Dillon

Music by Harry Von Tilzer (Info)

Verse 1

WHEN I WAS A BOY MY MOTH-ER OFT-EN SAID TO ME,

GET MAR-RIED BOY AND SEE, HOW HAP-PY YOU WILL BE,

I HAVE LOOKED ALL O-VER, BUT NO GIRL-IE CAN I FIND,

WHO SEEMS TO BE JUST LIKE THE LIT-TLE GIRL I HAVE IN MIND.

I WILL HAVE TO LOOK A-ROUND UN-TIL THE RIGHT ONE I HAVE FOUND.

Verse 2

BY THE OLD MILL STREAM THERE SITS A COUP-LE OLD AND GRAY,

THOUGH YEARS HAVE ROLLED A-WAY, THEIR HEARTS ARE YOUNG AND GAY,

MOTH-ER DEAR LOOKS UP AT DAD WITH LOVE-LIGHT IN HER EYE,

HE STEALS A KISS, A FOND EM-BRACE, WHILE EV-'NING BREEZ-ES SIGH;

Chorus

I WANT A GIRL JUST LIKE THE GIRL THAT MAR-RIED DEAR OLD DAD,

SHE WAS A PEARL AND THE ON-LY GIRL THAT DAD-DY E-VER HAD.

A GOOD OLD FASH-IONED GIRL WITH HEART SO TRUE,

ONE WHO LOVES NO-BOD-Y ELSE BUT YOU

I WANT A GIRL JUST LIKE THE GIRL THAT MAR-RIED DEAR OLD DAD.

[no-s]

we end up with partners who have similar personality traits to our parents, but I don't think looks have a thing to do with it.

I felt my first marriage failed in divorce because the ex was not strong-willed and was intimidated by the women in my family. I remarried, my wife is comfortable with my family and very strong-willed. I think the physical beauty of a confident,capable woman is more attractive. (yes dear) But the first thing I noticed about her was the Mona Lisa smile....

[mlmr]

You know there is a pattern in that behavior too. Families have such interesting dynamics

[Happygal]

I assure you love, I bear NO similarity to either of your parents! :-)