Survey: 7 ways men view relationships differently than women


Is modern life changing the way men and women relate to each other or do traditional ideals still rule?  The results of the 4th Annual Great Male Survey, which was conducted by leading men’s lifestyle site AskMen, reveal some shifting gender dynamics when it comes to dating and relationships. For the second year in a row, AskMen has teamed up with Cosmopolitan.com to loop in the thoughts of the fairer sex through the Great Female Survey. The answers from both genders show that while some old-fashioned values are still going strong, the tables are starting to turn when it comes to other aspects of relationships.

A whopping 85% of men claim that they wouldn’t mind having a partner who makes more money than they do, but the majority of men surveyed (59%) said that they still think it’s the man’s responsibility to pay for dates until the relationship is established, proving that chivalry is not dead.
The way men and women meet is changing, too, with half of all men in their 30s saying that they have met a woman online. Nearly a quarter of men 35-50+ said that they’ve had online hookups that led to long-term relationships.
The long-awaited, still-being-tested male birth-control pill has fans from both sexes.  53% of women surveyed answered that they’d encourage their partners to take it, and 68% of men stated that they would take it once it becomes available.
What would men and women change about their significant others? Opinions differ between genders, as the most common thing attached men (26% of them) would change was their partner’s attitude or moodiness.  The most popular answer among attached females (30%) was that they wouldn’t change a thing.
The surveys also reveal that men and women have different notions about what constitutes the ultimate status symbol: 43% of women think that it is a beautiful home while only 26% chose having a successful partner. On the other hand, men ranked family as their number one choice (39%).
Women appear to be more forgiving of physical changes or flaws in their partners than men are. Nearly half of men (48%) claimed they would dump their girlfriends if they gained weight, while only 20% of women said the same for their partners.
When it comes to divorce, most men (78%) think that the courts favor women, while 43% of women believe that the genders are treated equally and fairly by the law.
Today’s climate demands new things from relationships, and so time-tested gender roles are shifting. AskMen and Cosmopolitan.com’s Great Male/Female Survey reveals how dating and relationships are evolving and what the genders really think of it all. To see all the findings from The Great Male/Female Survey, please visitAskMen.
The unscientific Great Male and Great Female Surveys are developed annually in conjunction with Ipsos, the world’s leading survey based research firm. Total respondents for this year’s survey numbered over 70,000. LINK