In his theory of evolution, Charles Darwin suggested that showy traits such as peacock feathers, which do not improve survival, must instead give a reproductive advantage for them to persist through natural selection.

But a new study suggests similar ostentatious displays in humans may actually be detrimental to finding lasting love.

U.S. researchers have found that driving a flashy car is a turnoff for both men and women who are looking for a life partner.

In fact, the study suggests that people who are seeking marriage should ditch the sports car and instead choose something sensible.

Recent research found that women believed Porsche Boxster owners were less likely to want a committed relationship than Honda Civic drivers.

“This contrasts with the notion that men’s conspicuous resource displays are attractive to women because they reliably signal expected future resource investment in partners and especially in offspring,” said study author Jessica Kruger, of the University of Buffalo.

In the research, the psychologists aimed to find out how men’s display of wealth is interpreted by others. Researchers at the universities of Buffalo and Michigan in the United States asked 233 people of both sexes to state their preferences in two different scenarios.

They first read through the description of two men who were buying cars for around US$27,000 and then rated them on perceived parenting skills, dating, interest in relationships and attractiveness.

In the first scenario “Frugal Dan” bought a new car based on efficiency and reliability, which comes under warranty for the first few years.

In contrast “Flashy Dave” bought a used car and spent money on new paint, bigger wheels and more powerful sound system.

The results showed that on a scale of how attractive the men were for a long term relationship, Flashy Dave was only rated as 43 points out of 80, while Frugal Dan received 67 points.

The researchers concluded that when a man throws money around on fancy cars, people intuitively interpret it to mean he is more interested in a short-term dalliance than a romantic commitment.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【败胃口】bài wèikǒu turnoff something or someone that makes one lose interest or excitement

【一时风流】yīshí fēngliú dalliance casual romantic or sexual activity

达尔文在他的进化论中曾提出，像孔雀羽毛这类对生存无益的浮华特质必然容易吸引异性，从而助其在自然选择中胜出。

但是，一项新研究指出，人类所表现出的相似特质事实上可能并不利于寻找长期对象。

美国研究人员发现，寻找终身伴侣的男女会对开豪车的人避而远之。

事实上，研究表明，想结婚的人应该舍弃跑车，选择一些“靠谱”的车。

前不久有研究发现，女性认为开保时捷Boxster的人对稳定感情关系的需求要低于开本田思域的人。

该研究的作者、布法罗大学的杰西卡· 克鲁格说：“过去认为，男性高调地展示自己的资源能够吸引女性，因为他们明确地表达出有资源可用于未来对伴侣尤其是后代的投资，而这一研究结果与之大相径庭。”

在这项研究中，心理学家们想知道人们是如何解读男性炫富的。美国布法罗大学和密歇根大学的研究人员访问了233名男女，请他们针对两个不同场景表达自己的偏好。

受访者先阅读了关于花2万7千美元买车的两名男子的描述，然后从育儿技能、约会、恋爱兴趣和魅力值几方面给他们打分。

在第一个场景中，“节俭的丹”从效能和可靠性出发买了一辆可保修几年的新车。

相比之下，“招摇的戴维”买了一辆二手车，花钱喷了新漆、换了更大的车胎和更强大的音响系统。

结果显示，就他们在长期感情关系方面的吸引力而言，招摇的戴维只得到了43分的评价，而节俭的丹得到了67分（满分80分）。

研究人员得出结论说，当一名男子砸钱买豪车时，人们会本能地将其解读为车主更喜欢一时风流而不是一世的承诺。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)