Desirable Attributes in the Ideal Partner: Can they Vary According to Gender and Place of Residence?

Comprehending the choice of romantic partner is important in order to minimize possible problems stemming from confl ictive loving relationships. This study aimed to identify to what extent the preference for desirable attributes in an ideal partner vary according to the respondent’s gender and place of residence. A total of 3,124 people from capital cities (n = 1,583) or towns (n = 1,541) of the nine states of the Brazilian Northeast region participated in the study, with a mean age of 23.6 years (sd = 6.72) and 63.6% female. They answered the Desirable Attributes of the Ideal Partner Scale and demographic questions. Results (Manova) indicated differences in the desirable attributes in an ideal partner according to gender: the men gave greater importance to the athletic dimension, while the women scored higher in the accomplished dimension. An effect was also observed related to the place of residence, with the men living in towns presenting a higher mean score in the traditional dimension, whereas the women residing in this locality gave more importance to the athletic dimension. In conclusion, the place of residence and, above all, the gender were important in explaining the variations in preferences for attributes in an ideal partner, in agreement with the literature.