London - Many women have a pretty definite image of their Mr Right - and may even end up marrying him.
But their idea of perfect husband and father material is a lot more flexible than most would think.
In fact, it varies with their monthly cycle. When her hormones make a woman most likely to conceive, that smooth-talking, handsome suitor soars in her estimation.
He would normally be dismissed as a poor candidate for family life but suddenly seems kind and keen on future childcare duties.
In other words, Mr Wrong rapidly becomes Mr Right.
Researcher Kristina Durante said: “While women do not realise it, the hormones associated with fertility lead them to delude themselves about sexy, bad boys.
“Instead of seeing them as unreliable, these women think that they will become devoted partners and better dads.”
Dr Durante created fictitious online dating profiles of a handsome, charismatic skier and an average-looking but successful accountant. She then asked young women if they thought the men were father material.
The women did the test twice, when their fertility was at its highest and lowest.
Their view of the accountant did not change but the skier rose in their estimations when their chance of conception was higher, said the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Dr Durante, of the University of Texas, said their hormones made “Mr Wrong look exactly like Mr Right”. - Daily Mail