Scarcity of women leads men to spend more, save less: study
When men think they outnumber women, they borrow more, save less and spend more impulsively, according to a recent study by the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
Researchers asked groups of men to read news articles suggesting that their local population had either more men or women. They were then asked to indicate how much money they would save each month and how much they would spend on credit card purchases.
When the articles suggested there was a surplus of men, the savings rate fell 42%, and the men were willing to borrow 84% more each month.
“What we see in other animals is that when females are scarce, males become more competitive. They compete more for access to mates,” says Vladas Griskevicius, the lead author of the study. “How do humans compete for access to mates? What you find across cultures is that men often do it through money, through status and through products.”
Rather than depend on lab experiments alone, the researchers reviewed archival data and calculated the sex ratios of more than 120 U.S. cities. Same result: Communities with an abundance of single men showed greater ownership of credit cards and had higher debt levels.
Is this just of interest to advertisers? Or do you feel you're affected by the demographics around you?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Art Finch | Feb 23, 2022 12:57:17 AM
Very interesting! It would be interesting to see the results of the same survey conducted on women. How would they react if they knew there was a shortage of men to go around? Just curious!
Posted by: william osterloo | Feb 23, 2022 8:02:48 AM
I don,t need a shortage of women to go broke.I,ve allways had women around and they allways need money.
Posted by: william osterloo | Feb 23, 2022 8:05:55 AM
Whenever there,s Women around there will allways be a shortage of money.I don,t let it bother Me.Life would be lonesome without them.
Posted by: Johnny Caravella | Feb 23, 2022 8:04:45 PM
Women don't spend money on men. Despite women's lib and a record number of women in the workforce, women still expect men to pay for just about everything -- movie tickets, dinner, vacations, flowers, chocolates, household bills and expenses, etc, etc. There's a double standard if there ever was one.
Posted by: Dave | Feb 23, 2022 8:09:23 PM
The top 0.001% push for 'population control' / large marketing companies are never heard coming out in opposition of gender specific abortions in China, India and Pakistan and then one reads studies like this.
Any connection? Poppycock !
Quit asking silly questions get back to watching Twilight/Bridgette Jones/etc where competent men aggressively compete for completely pathetic excuses for women. While you're at it buy a new car (high insurance rates), a diamond ring for your girl (with matching mortgage) and box seats at that sporting/concert event. If you don't do that you'll be as pathetic as that Warren Buffet person with his AIG stock/Goldman Sachs stocks / used car, small house and ample bank account.
Posted by: Alex | Feb 23, 2022 9:10:45 PM
What a bunch of wussies! Spend money for what? May for pacifiers? Why? Because of some irrelevant external factors. Why not be more prone to throw baby temper tantrums...
Posted by: RJMR | Feb 23, 2022 10:34:52 PM
Scarcity of women? I never had made enough money which is why I could not even compete. And when I did find I made enough money, I was already reaching my middle age and the women that I am attracted to are already married, had children, are either divorced and are just prowling cougars? Who needs that kind of headache? The search for an attractive women that would suit me has to be out there and if I expanded my search to go out of town, out of the province or even out of the country, it would be the only answer. I travelled. Discovered new cultures like in the caribbean, latin america, hispaniola, mexico. Still not finding someone I wanted or was someone I could be really attracted to, I went to ASIA then I found someone even half my age and she got pregnant by me. We are now married and have a daughter. If I had given up hope and stayed in one place then I would never have found her. Either some men are in the wrong place looking for women who want better than them and that the area where they live or city or town where they live is full of other competitive men who are better looking, have more money and might even be younger, then they are just out of luck. I found a solution to that problem. If you are willing to move to a different place, even move to another country for LOVE then you will find the women you want but if you stay in the same place and just accept defeat then you are a loser forever. For love and happiness, I would move anywhere. You might make money where you are but for me, I wasn't making a whole lot of money that my face was always smiling from ear to ear. Happiness and Love is more important to me. I already know how to live with less when I was not making a lot of money before. I would be making less in another country but I will survive with my wife. We can work it out because we have each other and our daughter. Yes, I made a little bit more but not to the point that I was paid enough to live in complete control of my life and destiny. I was still a slave to work and the cost of living is still high in Canada. So what's the point or argument in thinking, you could be extremely happy with what you have when you know you're being used and abused. Leave it behind you and move on. Unless I was making millions and millions or even in the hundreds of thousands every year then I would rather move to another place or country to find that happiness and love. It only takes a smart man to realize this.
Posted by: RJMR | Feb 23, 2022 10:41:40 PM
Would you move to another place (town, city, province or country) for that woman? Scarcity of women might only be specific to a particular region (city, town, province or country). The world is big enough.