Study: Single Women Are Drawn To Attached Men

For single women who often say "all the good men are taken," a new study shows a more accurate statement might be "we're taking all the good men."

That's because a new study shows single women are attracted to attached men, according to a report in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

The New York Times picked up on the results of the study and described how social psychologists – Melissa Burkley and Jessica Parker – of Oklahoma State University reached their results.

Researchers questioned undergraduate men and women – some single, others already in romantic relationships – about their perfect mate.

Half of the participants were told they had been matched by a computer with someone with similar interests and that the person was unavailable. The other half were told their computer-matched mate was single. When asked how interested they were in their match, both men and women already in relationships showed no preference for the single or attached person. But 59 percent of single women reported being interested in pursuing the taken man. When the man was described as being in a committed relationship, the attached man reached an even higher level of demand with 90 percent reporting they were interested in him.

When polled, most women, who admitted to "mate poaching" said that they did not think the relationship status of the man made much of a difference in their decisions. But researchers say their findings prove that's a false statement.

They say their study proves single women were dramatically more interested in attached men and that may be because it proves the man has been pre-screened by another woman and has demonstrated an ability to commit.

CBS4-TV South Florida ©August 2009