Article:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22329089

Abstract:

In this article I evaluate the effect of physical attractiveness on young adults' sexual and romantic outcomes to reveal gender differences in acted preferences. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a probability sample of young adults (n = 14,276), I investigate gender differences in desired sexual partner accumulation, relationship status, and timing of sexual intercourse. I find gender differences in sexual and romantic strategies consistent with those predicted by the double standard of sexuality and evolutionary theory. Specifically, compared to men, women pursue more committed relationships, fewer sexual partners, and delayed sexual intercourse.

My summary of the articles information:

Sexual strategies introduction:

Women and men may not be aware of the traits that attract them to a potential partner and instead use culturally provided reasons to explain their attraction responses.Both women and men value physical attractiveness highly in actual choices but value it less when reporting their preferences.

Actual sexual and romantic outcomes reflect compromised rather than ideal choices. Partnership formation is inherently a two-sided negotiation, and individuals’ ideal preferences may be unattainable, forcing them to compromise and enter sub-optimal unions (or remain single).

More physically attractive individuals are more able to attain desired outcomes. So sexual and romantic outcomes differ by physical attractiveness, outcomes for the most physically attractive women and men should be closer to ideal preferences while outcomes for the least physically attractive women and men should represent compromised choices.

Physical attractiveness and its effect on sexual outcomes:

Women:

The number of sexual partners decreases with increasing physical attractiveness.

The number of reported partners also decreases with BMI: Thinner women report fewer partners. Overweight women report approximately 10% more partners than normal-weight women Thinness is a dimension of attractiveness for women, so this pattern is consistent with the idea of more attractive women report fewer sexual partners.

More attractive women are less likely to report having sexual intercourse in the first week after meeting their partner. They are also less likely to classify their relationships as only having sex and more likely to classify their relationships as exclusive relationships. Very physically attractive women are less likely to have sexual intercourse within the first week after meeting the partner. Being underweight decreases this even further.

Very physically attractive women are more likely to form exclusive relationships than to form purely sexual relationships. They are also less likely to have sexual intercourse within the first week of meeting a partner.

For women the effect of being underweight on within-relationship outcomes resembles the effect of being very physically attractive. This suggests that the factors influencing romantic and sexual desirability are at least in part socially structured (underweight women are less fertile so evolutionarily they would be less able to obtain desired outcomes).

Women ideally don't pursue many sexual partners, prefer exclusive relationships, and prefer to delay initial sexual intercourse at least beyond a week of meeting their partner.

Personal Note: Strategies such as the dual mating strategy (date provider, cheat with genetically attractive men) could be one of many coping strategies women implement when not able to secure their ideal man, rather than an unavoidable intrinsic human behavior.

Men:

For men, the number of sexual partners increases with increasing physical attractiveness. All else equal, for men being very physically attractive (versus average/attractive) increases reported partners by 26%.

With increasing physical attractiveness men report more partners being casual and purely for sex rather than exclusive.

Men of normal to heavy bodyweight report more total partners than underweight or overweight men. The ideal weight for men is considered to be normal to heavy weight, so this is reasonably consistent with the finding that more attractive men report more sexual partners.

Men ideally pursue many sexual partners, prefer casual relationships, and prefer to have sex with new partners quickly.