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Do girls like family oriented guys?

The survey showed that a family-focused man is perceived by young women as being more attractive than a career- and work-oriented man. This result may suggest that, perhaps, what we considered to be deeply entrenched and long-standing gender roles may now be changing.

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While there are a number of stereotypes when it comes to what's expected of a 'real man', these expectations are often archaic, not very realistic, nor particularly fair. However, a new study suggests there seems to have been a shift in these old-fashioned expectations and gender roles, at least in the eyes of women. Researchers from Belgium carried out a survey that showed women are actually more attracted to family-oriented men to those who are focused on their careers. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Whether in the eyes of scientists, women, or men themselves, there doesn't seem to be any clear or definitive answer to what makes a man "a man". While there are a number of stereotypes when it comes to what's expected of a "real man", these expectations are often not very realistic or fair and — more often than not — are pretty outdated. For this very reason, a Belgian team of researchers decided to tackle this question of what, according to women, a man needs in terms of personal qualities him in order to be considered a candidate for long-term partnership.

Classical gender roles put to the test

So what and how is a man "supposed" to be? Rational or emotional? Career-focused or a self-sacrificing family man?

Researchers from Belgium recently carried out a study that was published in Springer Nature. The scientists interviewed 87 heterosexual female students about their desires in and expectations of their "ideal partner".

What young women want in relationships

The survey showed that a family-focused man is perceived by young women as being more attractive than a career- and work-oriented man. This result may suggest that, perhaps, what we considered to be deeply entrenched and long-standing gender roles may now be changing. Another survey within the same study showed that a sociable and family-oriented man generally corresponds more closely to the expectations of a good potential partner for future "life planning". This was particularly the case the more career-oriented a woman was. One proposed explanation for this is that a man who attaches more importance to his family than his career is likely to be a better father, and is therefore more likely to be supportive and involved in everyday family life. In a world where more and more women pursue careers, it looks like the "family man" is becoming an increasingly desirable option among women.

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Why do first borns look like father?

There's an old theory that says first-born babies were genetically predispositioned to look more like their father. It was believed this was so the father accepted the child was his and would provide and care for them. There's also another theory that says it was so he didn't eat the baby…

There’s an old theory that says first-born babies were genetically predispositioned to look more like their father. It was believed this was so the father accepted the child was his and would provide and care for them. There’s also another theory that says it was so he didn’t eat the baby… These theories obviously date way, way back, long before paternity tests existed (or cannibalism was frowned upon). But even today, all new parents can’t help but look at their baby and wonder, who does it look like? It’s often one of the first things people will comment on when they meet a little one for the first time.

But is there actually any truth to the theory at all?

A 1995 study from the University of California sought to prove the theory by matching photos of 1-year-old children with pictures of their father. The study asked 122 participants to match photos of children at 1-year, 10-years and 20-years with photos of both their mothers and fathers. In infants, just under 50% guessed correctly for the fathers, as opposed to around 37% for the mothers. The success rates decreased significantly in 10-year-olds and rose slightly again in 20-year-olds. A similar study in 2004 with a much larger sample size found that, in fact, most infants resemble both parents equally. In concluding the study, co-author and psychologist at the University of Padova in Italy Paola Bressan noted that to the best of her knowledge, “no study has either replicated or supported” the findings from the 1995 study that stated babies resemble their fathers.

But even though the science isn’t there to back up the theory, why do so many of us say it rings true, that firstborns do tend to look more like their father?

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