Study: The Connection Between Porsches and Peacocks

Friday, 17 June 2011 | by Pat's Picks

When a peacock unfurls its showy tail, it has one thing on the brain: get the girl. Researchers at the University of Minnesota say men act in a similar way. The Star Tribune says scientists have confirmed that sexual signaling really does work—just not the way men might think it does. A recent study has found that men who buy flashy cars or big TVs come across as guys who want to have casual sex. They don’t, however, come across as good marriage partners. Researchers say women don’t have the urge the splurge when love is in the air: “The anticipation of romance doesn’t trigger flashy spending [by women] as it does with some men.” Women, it seems, spend money to impress other women.

Read an abstract of the study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.