Fertile women seek variety in men, shopping

Women are likely to seek more options in dating partners and consumer products when they are most fertile, a new study has found.
"Just like a fisherman casting a wide net, ovulating women seek to cast a wide net into the dating pool and expand the number of potential suitors they have to choose from," said Kristina M Durante, marketing assistant professor at University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and lead investigator of the study.
"And, this desire for variety in men at ovulation triggers a variety seeking mindset that carries over into desire for variety in products," Durante said.

Durante and colleagues conducted four studies that included 553 female participants in the US between 18 and 40 years of age who were not pregnant or taking hormonal contraceptives.
The studies found that women's desire for new options in men triggered a variety seeking mindset that led women to also desire variety in products.
Loyalty to a romantic partner reduced the desire for product variety, suggesting that loyalty in romantic relationships can translate to brand loyalty.

"From candy bars to cosmetics, ovulating women chose many different options - not just the same product or brand again and again," said Durante.

"However, when we had women imagine themselves in a loving relationship with a desirable partner, or when we had married women put on their wedding rings, they no longer desired variety near ovulation," she said.
The study's findings have practical implications for marketers. For instance, a company might appeal to mate attraction motives in marketing messages to spur increased desire for variety and novelty in consumer choice, researchers said.
The study is published in the Journal of Consumer Research.