The study found that men who met women with high levels of intelligence viewed them as being less attractive.
This especially applied in cases where the men felt that the women were smarter than themselves. The results came following a separate survey in which the same men said that they found intelligence in women an attractive trait.
“Six studies revealed that when evaluating psychologically distant targets, men showed greater attraction toward women who displayed more (vs. less) intelligence than themselves,” states the study’s abstract.
However, when face-to-face with those same intelligent women, the men reported feeling less attracted to them.
“In contrast, when targets were psychologically near, men showed less attraction toward women who outsmarted them.”
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The women in the study underwent initial testing in which their level of intelligence was assessed, placing them in a variety of categories. Men were then asked to rate the attractiveness of the women in the study. Those women who had scored higher on their intelligence tests were slammed down by the men to a higher degree than the women who scored less.
The researchers concluded that the men felt “less masculine” when they were with the women who were more intelligent than themselves.
Cover photo: Mostphotos
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