Money can’t buy me love! Personality is more important than finances when it comes to dating

Apparently the Beatles were right when they sang that “Money can’t buy me love”!

A new study finds that when it comes to dating, personality has become more important than finances.

Researchers from the University of York and the University of Essex analyzed more than a million lonely hearts advertisements around the world.

They found that in the United States, France and Canada, there was a sharp decline in economic factors when choosing a partner, while in India finances remain important for singletons.

“Our study shows that personality is becoming more important in Western countries like the United States, but we don’t see the same trend in India,” said co-author Dr. Quentin Lippmann.

“Once India’s economy is more developed, and the current generation is more financially secure, it may show a change in preference for personality factors as well.”

In their study, the team analyzed Lonely Hearts ads from major news outlets in Canada, France and India, as well as data from publications from 1950 to 1995, and ads from 41 regional newspapers from Canada and the United States in 1995.

The team focused on the language used in the ads, which they classified into four distinct categories.

“Economic” language focused on a potential partner’s financial situation, while “Personal” covered traits such as openness and extraversion.

Meanwhile, the “physical” language expressed a preference for body types, while the “taste” language covered hobbies and habits.

Their analysis showed that between 1950 and 1995, the importance of personality grew in Western countries, while economic factors declined.

By 1995, 40 to 45 percent of the words women used to describe their ideal partner were in the “personality” category, while only 10 percent mentioned finances.

Similarly, 35 to 40 percent of the words in advertisements placed by men focused on personality, while only 5 percent were related to economic factors.

However, in India, both finances and personal affairs remained major issues during the same time period.

Until the 1970s, about 35 percent of the words in ads were about finance — and by 1995 that had risen to 60 percent.

There was some gender disparity in advertising, with economic factors more important in advertisements placed by women than in advertisements placed by men.

The data we found supports Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs, said Khushboo Surana, a co-author of the study.

In this framework, physical needs—that is, financial factors—must be met before you can focus on non-physical items, such as personality traits.

“It is possible that, unlike in the West, people’s first-class needs are not being met, and that is why we see an emphasis on economic criteria.”

Dr. Lippmann believes that once the Indian economy develops, we may see a shift in preference for personality factors.

“This would align them with the trends we see in the western countries that we sampled,” he concluded.