http://news.yahoo.com/s/l...ractivemen

Women seeking a lifelong mate might do well to choose the guy a notch below them in the looks category. New research reveals couples in which the wife is better looking than her husband are more positive and supportive than other match-ups.

The reason, researchers suspect, is that men place great value on beauty, whereas women are more interested in having a supportive husband.

Researchers admit that looks are subjective, but studies show there are some universal standards, including large eyes, "baby face" features, symmetric faces, so-called average faces, and specific waist-hip ratios in men versus women.

Past research has shown that individuals with comparable stunning looks are attracted to each other and once they hook up they report greater relationship satisfaction. These studies, however, are mainly based on new couples, showing that absolute beauty is important in the earliest stages of couple-hood, said lead researcher James McNulty of the University of Tennessee. But the role of physical attractiveness in well-established partnerships, such as marriage, is somewhat of a mystery.

The new study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Family Psychology, reveals looks continue to matter beyond that initial attraction, though in a different way.

McNulty's team assessed 82 couples who had married within the previous six months and had been together for nearly three years prior to tying the knot. Participants were on average in their early to mid-20s.

Researchers videotaped as each spouse discussed with their partner a personal problem for 10 minutes. The tapes were analyzed for whether partners were supportive of spouses' issues, which included goals to eat healthier, to land a new job and to exercise more often.

"A negative husband would've said, 'This is your problem, you deal with it,'" McNulty said, "versus 'Hey, I'm here for you; what do you want me to do?; how can I help you?'"

A group of trained "coders" rated the facial attractiveness of each spouse on a scale from 1 to 10, with the perfect 10 representing the ultimate babe. About a third of the couples had a more attractive wife, a third a more attractive husband and the remaining partners showed matching looks.

Overall, wives and husbands behaved more positively when the woman was better looking.

The finding "seems very reasonable," said Dan Ariely, a professor of behavioral economics at MIT's Program in Media Arts and Sciences and Sloan School of Management. "Men are very sensitive to women's attractiveness. Women seem to be sensitive to men's height and salary," said Ariely, who was not involved in the recent study.

In couples with more attractive husbands, both partners were less supportive of one another. McNulty suggests wives mirror, in some ways, the level of support they get from husbands.

"The husband who's less physically attractive than his wife is getting something more than maybe he can expect to get," McNulty told LiveScience. "He's getting something better than he's providing at that level. So he's going to work hard to maintain that relationship."

Men who are more attractive than their partners would theoretically have access to partners who are more attractive than their current spouses, McNulty said. The "grass could be greener" mentality could make these men less satisfied and less committed to maintain the marriage.

Physical attractiveness of husbands is not as important to women, the researchers suggest. Rather, wives are looking for supportive husbands, they say.

So it seems the mismatch in looks is actually a perfect match. "Equitable is unlikely to mean the same on every dimension," Ariely said during a telephone interview. "It just means that overall two people make sense together."

the other day I was watching oprah and this really very very cute and beautiful woman (a notch and a half below hot) was talking about her sleeping issues and they showed her husband and asked him questions and he was definitely not in her league and the people I was watching the show with all commented on how such a cute girl married an ugly guy and I told them I would totally date and marry a guy like that because I would know he would probably really place a lot of value on loving me.

Not that I'm all that

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

You see this all the time. In real life AND on TV. Just look at the sitcoms where every fat dumpy guy has a hot skinny wife. WTF???? But you're right, average looking guys tend to be more attentive and loving than hot guys. Maybe I should marry an average Joe and keep a hottie on the side.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

You see this all the time. In real life AND on TV. Just look at the sitcoms where every fat dumpy guy has a hot skinny wife. WTF???? But you're right, average looking guys tend to be more attentive and loving than hot guys. Maybe I should marry an average Joe and keep a hottie on the side.

I'm in luck.....

I'm in luck.....

pardonme4livin said:

I have been telling you that for the longest time!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

That I am less attractive?..... Thanks again then Richard....

pardonme4livin said:

You are so stupid.

pardonme4livin said:

That you're more attractive than you think!

Stymie said:

Well the article said nothing about beautiful women loving less attractive AND stupid men.....but woohoo!

I knew it. The reason why I'm still single is because I'm too good-looking.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Don't you snarl at me mister....

Interesting they left out the ECONOMIC factor.

Women seem to be sensitive to men's height and salary

Graycap23 said:

I think it's kind of implied that these guys with beautiful wives are makin' paper. They kept saying "supportive" which I think is a euphimism for paid.

It also states:

Graycap23 said:

I think it's kind of implied that these guys with beautiful wives are makin' paper. They kept saying "supportive" which I think is a euphimism for paid.

It also states:

SCNDLS said:

Exactly. In real life, a dude like Kevin James isn't getting a hot female without a phat wallet.

SCNDLS said:

I prefer men who are not tall and I don't care if he got money or not . ButI do care if he is attractive to me .

SCNDLS said:

I prefer men who are not tall and I don't care if he got money or not . ButI do care if he is attractive to me .

Serious said:

Beauty IS totally in the eye of the beholder and as long as you find that person attractive, for whatever reason, that's all that matters. But I do think it's more important for men, in general, to have an attractive/beautiful woman while women value a good provider over a pretty face.

uPtoWnNY said:

Can u say.....Jay-Z?