While Singaporean men may be increasingly willing to date a taller woman, their female counterparts have grown more resistant to dating a shorter man, a recent study finds.
An annual Regional Dating Survey showed that 70 per cent of Singaporean women polled would not date shorter men, up from last year’s finding of 61 per cent.
In contrast, the percentage of local men saying they would date a taller woman rose from 38 to 42 per cent in this year’s survey.
The survey, conducted this August by dating agency Lunch Actually, polled 1,895 people across Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Of this, 640 respondents were Singaporeans, with 78 per cent of them aged between 26 to 40 and 67 per cent hold at least a Bachelor’s degree.
In Hong Kong and Malaysia, 60 per cent and 70 per cent of female respondents, respectively, said no to a relationship with a shorter man. While more than half of male respondents in Malaysia said they would date a taller woman, only one in three men in Hong Kong said yes to a taller date.
Locally, the survey also found that nearly half of female respondents were not open to dating men with a lower income, but 76 per cent of local men would date a woman who earns more than him. Four in 10 women would not date men who are less educated but 8 in 10 men were receptive to a woman with higher qualifications.
Violet Lim, chief executive officer and co-founder of Lunch Actually said, “It could be possible that men are feeling more secure about themselves that they need not worry about factors such as a women being taller, more qualified or earning more than them.”
“Men are quite practical, they do not view height as a deciding factor in the relationship,” she added.
“But I think for women, they seem hard-wired to prefer taller, well-built men since traditionally they made better hunters and providers.”
32-year-old administrative executive Yvonne Chan said she would not date a shorter man. “I wouldn’t because deep down, I subscribe to old school romance where the man is the protector. That, rightly or wrongly, is perceived through height and build,” she told Yahoo! Singapore.
“So, unless he is a martial arts expert, I probably wouldn't be attracted to a shorter man in the first place,” she added.
Local women not into good looks
If you think, however, that our local women are attracted to good looks, you might be surprised to find that looks take a back seat to other attributes such as confidence, strong character, good conversation and humour.
Men, on the other hand, were more interested in pretty women with 34.3 per cent saying it is a feature they would be most attracted to. They are also drawn to confident women and those who are gentle and non-aggressive.
When it comes to paying for first dates, most of the male and female respondents agreed men should foot the bill.
The survey also showed more Singaporeans using online dating as a way to meet potential dates with the number rising from 58 per cent last year to 61.7 per cent.
This growing trend is inevitable, with Singaporeans, especially the younger generation, being more internet-savvy, said Lim. “Online dating is 24/7. It’s easy to go online to check out potential partners and it merely serves as an additional platform to widen their social contacts,” she said.
“But singles should also be aware of pitfalls of online dating such as dating scams and syndicates. Dating agencies should also put in more mechanisms to put a stop to daters who are not genuine people,” she cautioned.
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S’porean women not open to dating shorter men: study
By Faris Mokhtar | Yahoo! Newsroom – Wed, Nov 9, 2011
View PhotoThe survey also revealed that women are more attracted to men with attributes such as confidence and strong character as compared to looks. (AP photo)
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