LADIES, Want your man to spend more on you? READ ON!

Every lady loves to be pampered and spoiled-dinners, shows and concerts, and even an occasional piece of jewelry. Even a small gesture of flowers and chocolate can make a lady feel special. But can science prove what makes men spend money on a woman? According to a study by Griskevicius et al published on ScienceDaily (Scarcity of Women Leads Men to Spend More, Save Less), when men perceived that women were scare, they were more likely to spend money. This was tested by allowing participants to read articles that described populations as having a higher ratio of men then women, and then asked to describe their spending habits (including how much they would save per paycheck, amount they would put on their credit card etc). It was found that men who perceived that women were scarcer in the population saved 42% less and borrowed 84% more money.  In a second experiment, participants viewed a group of pictures that had more men, more women, or were even. They were then offered a $20 gift card now, or a $30 gift card next month. The group that saw fewer women in the photos, men were more likely to take the $20 gift card rather then waiting for the increased amount. 

According to this study, three important things were observed:

1). Sex ratios affect expectations of women: when women were presented with population estimates that showed a higher ratio of men, they expected men to go further in their courting endeavors (aka Spend the Moo-la!).

2). Population data supports this finding: Communities with higher numbers of single men showed increased debt and credit card ownership.

3). The research implications on marketing: Advertisers should focus on whether a women is surrounded by a group of men, and not rely solely on the image of a beautiful woman to sell a product. 

So the key to pampering, ladies? Find a city with a higher male to female population! This would seem like a no-brainer, but now we know that it is backed by scientific research! It would seem to me that there is still a lot sexual selection going on in our species, and just how far a guy will go to get your attention depends on the number of available mates! A maddening idea? No, just simple biology principles at work!

~LD

Actual Research Paper: 

Vladas Griskevicius, Joshua M. Tybur, Joshua M. Ackerman, Andrew W. Delton, Theresa E. Robertson, Andrew E. White. The financial consequences of too many men: Sex ratio effects on saving, borrowing, and spending.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012; 102 (1):