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. 2021 May 19;16(5):e0250151. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250151

Table 1. Sex preference differences in characteristics.

Males Females
Absolute importance Mean Diff. Cliff’s delta z-stat. (two tailed) Mean SE 95% CI Lower 95% CI Upper Mean SE 95%CI Lower 95%CI Upper Overlap. Coeff.
Aesthetics
    Age 11.927 0.255 18.01*** 48.1 0.41 47.3 48.9 60.0 0.48 59.1 61.0 0.700
    Attractiveness -0.187 0.013 -0.89 65.9 0.34 65.3 66.6 65.7 0.42 64.9 66.6 0.928
    Physical build -0.838 0.039 -2.77* 65.3 0.35 64.7 66.0 64.5 0.42 63.7 65.3 0.898
Resources
    Education 12.172 0.253 17.88*** 41.2 0.41 40.4 42.1 53.4 0.52 52.4 54.4 0.689
    Intelligence 13.894 0.309 21.86*** 55.8 0.40 55.0 56.6 69.7 0.43 68.9 70.6 0.640
    Income 9.695 0.25 17.69*** 19.6 0.31 19.0 20.2 29.3 0.45 28.4 30.2 0.675
Personality
    Openness 4.445 0.132 9.35*** 69.2 0.31 68.6 69.9 73.7 0.37 73.0 74.4 0.817
    Trust 9.143 0.222 15.66*** 68.9 0.38 68.2 69.7 78.1 0.40 77.3 78.9 0.717
    Emotional connection 12.397 0.309 21.86*** 65.1 0.39 64.3 65.9 77.5 0.42 76.7 78.3 0.623
Males Females
Relative importance Mean Diff. Cohen’s d t-stat. Mean SE 95% CI 95% CI Mean SE 95%CI 95%CI Overlap.
(two tailed) Lower Upper Lower Upper Coeff.
Aesthetics
    Age 0.145 0.179 7.26*** -0.280 0.012 -0.304 -0.256 -0.135 0.016 -0.166 -0.104 0.823
    Attractiveness -0.292 0.433 -17.30*** 0.400 0.010 0.380 0.419 0.107 0.014 0.081 0.134 0.701
    Physical build -0.326 0.478 -19.32*** 0.375 0.010 0.355 0.395 0.049 0.013 0.022 0.075 0.673
Resources
    Education 0.130 0.17 6.78*** -0.514 0.011 -0.536 -0.492 -0.384 0.016 -0.415 -0.354 0.804
    Intelligence 0.227 0.317 13.09*** 0.039 0.011 0.017 0.061 0.266 0.013 0.240 0.293 0.833
    Income -0.030 0.047 -1.86 -1.411 0.009 -1.429 -1.393 -1.441 0.013 -1.467 -1.415 0.804
Personality
    Openness -0.131 0.189 -7.65*** 0.509 0.010 0.489 0.529 0.378 0.014 0.351 0.405 0.867
    Trust 0.083 0.108 4.49*** 0.508 0.012 0.484 0.532 0.591 0.014 0.564 0.619 0.866
    Emotional connection 0.195 0.252 10.33*** 0.374 0.012 0.351 0.397 0.569 0.015 0.540 0.598 0.756

Notes: Nmales = 4,375. Nfemales = 2,685.

†p < 0.10

*p < 0.05

**p < 0.01

***p < 0.001. Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test were used for the sex difference in absolute importance and t-test for relative importance. We account for multiple comparisons of characteristics within the same group with Bonferroni adjustment (sets the significance cut-off at α/3). Setting the significance cut-off at α/9 (nine characteristics) returns the same conclusion. Effect size measures (Cliff’s delta (non-parametric) and Cohen’s d) are absolute value.