Abstract
A sample of 450 male and 450 female single young adults were questioned as to whether they regarded romantic love-mate attraction as (a) easier for men than for women, (b) easier for women than for men, or (c) equally difficult for men and women. For both the males and females surveyed, the “equally difficult” alternative was endorsed the most frequently, the “easier for women” alternative the next most frequently, and the “easier for men” alternative the least frequently. The significant difference between the two distributions reflects a greater tendency among male than among female respondent to see mate attraction as easier for women. The results are thus contradictive of sexist attitudes of male supremacy in young people of both sexes, at least as far as the interpersonal marketplace is concerned. Directions for future research are outlined.
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