First Learn, then Date: Why Intelligence Matters

Americans increasingly value intellect in a partner. This was brought to light by Meetville.com (dating app to find the right person) in the course of a poll, conducted between 10/14/14 and 10/31/14.

People were asked to respond to the following question: “Would you rather date someone smarter than you or dumber than you?” The results indicate that a vast majority of 87% prefer to date a smarter person.

Those polled numbered 9,962. From the USA - 56%, from Canada - 4%, from Britain - 13%, from Australia - 7% and from other countries - 20%.

The poll reveals the general appeal to smarter partners. Yet, Evan Marc Katz, a dating coach, suggests women and men have different dating requirements: “Women tend to adhere more to their checklists, which usually call for a man who is just like them, but better. Taller. Richer. Smarter. Funnier. Saner. Sexier. Alas, men don’t care if you’re taller, richer, smarter, or funnier. Which is why men can date anyone– regardless of education, income, and height – while many women can only date 1 in 1000 men who are 6 feet tall, with a master’s degree and a $200,000 income."

In spite of the stated importance of this issue to women, the poll responses are dominated by male votes in both camps with a slight preference to the less intelligent type 75% to 72% in favor of a smarter partner.

Alex Cusper, Meetville service analyst, believes it is connected to male perception of a relationship: “When it comes to relationships, men like to be made to feel strong, and clever. Being comfortable in a relationship is vital for them, as it is closely connected with their self-esteem. But it’s not necessarily, the level of intellect that matters significantly, but the kind of support they get from women.”

Meetville, a leading mobile dating service, regularly conducts research among its users. Millions of people from the U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia answer hundreds of questions every month. You can find the results of the poll here. If you are interested in research on a particular topic, please contact us. Any reprint of the material should be followed by clickable links to the survey.