Study: Interracial Daters In College More Attractive, Desirable

Irvine, Calif. (CBS Sacramento) -- People in interracial relationships tend to be more attractive and desirable than those who date individuals of the same ethnicity, according to a new study.

University of California, Irvine, researchers found that interracial daters viewed themselves more positively and believed their partners viewed them more positively compared to intraracial daters, as reported by Raw Story. The study indicates that compared to intraracial daters, those in interracial relationships thought their partners saw them as more attractive, intelligent, affectionate, and trustworthy.

"Whereas previous research has found few consistent differences between interracial and intraracial daters in their motivations for dating and in their adjustment levels, this study suggests that interracial and intraracial daters may differ in their desirability as partners," study author Karen Wu said. "Across the three studies, interracial daters exhibited more desirable attributes than intraracial daters, most consistently in the realm of physical attractiveness."

After the first study, researchers started to think that a partner's actual ratings may serve as a better measurement of how desirable an individual is, as opposed to their perceived partner ratings. While surveying 100 couples who had been dating at least three months, interracial daters were rated more positively by their partners compared to intraracial daters.

In the third and final study, researchers took photos of 101 interracial and intraracial couples and then had ten research assistants rate the individual participants' levels of attractiveness. Interracial daters were again rated more physically attractive than others.

"Interracial daters in our study were rated as possessing higher levels of desirable attributes and were aware of being rated highly by their partners," Wu and her colleagues said. "This indicates that, at least in a diverse college sample, interracial relationships are unlikely to be motivated by a lack of dating opportunities within one's own ethnic group."

The study's sample groups were not large enough to evaluate how different racial combinations might impact these evaluations or attractiveness ratings. Researchers also note the study consisted mostly of Asians, Hispanics, and Caucasians, with few African-Americans among the participants. Further research is needed to strengthen the findings and explore how interracial dating may differ from each racial group.

The findings were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.