The results of my BBCi “Lonely Hearts” quiz read thusly (tooltip emphasis and commentary mine):
Describing Yourself
Younger men are keen to advertise their earning potential to prospective partners. Words like educated and professional give the impression that you can provide for a partner, even if they don’t yet have the money in the bank.
You picked “Funny, Intelligent”.
Category: Social SkillsYou really want the world to know what a fun guy you are, which is great. Women rate social skills highly in a partner. They may have evolved this instinct for verbal courtship to keep males around. This was important because males had a natural temptation to abandon a female after pregnancy.
You picked “Caring”.
Category: CommitmentYou are offering commitment, which women put at the top of their wish list. Women see you as someone who will stick around and provide for a baby. Some men emphasise this quality to compensate for a lack of wealth and power (which women also find attractive). In evolutionary terms, your preference for a woman who can show commitment is likely to result from a desire to ensure the paternity of your children.
Describing Your Partner
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but twenty-something men have low standards. Once they reach 30, their standards rise because they’re raking in the cash, pushing up their value in the Lonely Hearts market place. However, age and attractiveness rate highly with all men, regardless of their age.
You picked “Sensual”.
Category: SexinessYour woman needs to be able to light a fire in your loins. You may be surprised to know that sexiness is low down the list of qualities men request of a woman. Attractiveness is much more important to men because it is an indicator of a woman’s fertility.
You picked “Confident, Good sense of humour”.
Category: Social SkillsYour partner needs to be the light of any social occasion. Beware, her chatterbox qualities could drive you to distraction. Social skills are high on most men’s list of preferred qualities, but attractiveness and youth are the big winners. Women tend to value social skills much more highly than men do.