想找終身伴侶？那就別買豪車

In his theory of evolution, Charles Darwin suggested that showy traits such as peacock feathers, which do not improve survival, must instead give a reproductive advantage for them to persist through natural selection.

達爾文在他的進化論中曾提出，像孔雀羽毛這類對生存無益的浮華特質，必然會帶來生殖優勢，從而助其在自然選擇中勝出。

But a new study suggests similar ostentatious displays in humans may actually be detrimental to finding lasting love.

但是，一項新研究指出，人類所表現出的相似特質事實上可能並不利於尋找長期對象。

US researchers have found that driving a flashy car, is a turn-off for both men and women who are looking for a life partner.

美國研究人員發現，尋找終身伴侶的男女會對開豪車的人避而遠之。

Despite the hefty price-tag and pleasing aesthetics, both sexes when seeking a long-term relationship are unimpressed by extravagant vehicles, viewing their drivers as less reliable and more sexually promiscuous, according to the research.

研究稱，儘管豪車價格高昂、外觀漂亮，但是尋找長期伴侶的男女卻不會爲之所動，反而會認爲豪車主人較不可靠而且更放蕩。

In fact, the study suggest that people who are seeking marriage should ditch the sports car and instead choose something sensible.

事實上，研究表明，想結婚的人應該捨棄跑車，選擇一些“靠譜”的車。

It follows recent research which found that women believed Porsche Boxster owners were less likely to want a committed relationship than Honda Civic drivers.

前不久有研究發現，女性認爲開保時捷Boxster的人對穩定感情關係的需求要低於開本田思域的人。

“This contrasts with the notion that men’s conspicuous resource displays are attractive to women because they reliably signal expected future resource investment in partners and especially in offspring,” said study author Dr Jessica Kruger, of the University of Buffalo.

該研究的作者、布法羅大學的傑西卡·克魯格博士說：“過去認爲，男性高調地展示自己的資源能夠吸引女性，因爲他們明確地表達出未來將對伴侶尤其是對後代的資源投資，而這一研究結果與之大相徑庭。”

Compared to women, men have a greater tendency to conspicuously display their wealth. But a woman’s preference for such displays reflects the type of partnership she is seeking.

和女性相比，男性更願意高調炫富。但是女性對炫富男的偏愛也反映出她所追求的是哪一種感情關係。

For example physical qualities are more important when she has a brief fling in mind, while a man’s wealth is more influential when she is deciding on a suitable life partner who can provide for her children.

舉例而言，當女性想要一段露水情緣時，她會更看重男性的外表，而當女性決定找一個能供養孩子的合適的終身伴侶時，她會更看重男性的財富。

In the new research, the psychologists aimed to find out how men’s display of wealth is interpreted by others. Researchers at the universities of Buffalo and Michigan in the US asked 233 people of both sexes to state their preferences in two different scenarios.

在這項新研究中，心理學家們想知道人們是如何解讀男性炫富的。美國布法羅大學和密歇根大學的研究人員訪問了233名男女，請他們針對兩個不同場景表達自己的偏好。

They first read through the description of two men who were buying cars for around £20,000 and then rated them on perceived parenting skills, dating, interest in relationships and attractiveness.

受訪者先閱讀了關於花2萬英鎊（約合17萬元人民幣）買車的兩名男子的描述，然後從育兒技能、約會、戀愛興趣和魅力值幾方面給他們打分。

In the first scenario ‘Frugal Dan’ bought a new car based on efficiency and reliability, which comes under warranty for the first few years. In contrast ‘Flashy Dave’ bought a used car and spent money on new paint, bigger wheels and more powerful sound system.

在第一個場景中，“節儉的丹”從效能和可靠性出發買了一輛可保修幾年的新車。相比之下，“招搖的戴維”買了一輛二手車，花錢噴了新漆、換了更大的車胎和更強大的音響系統。

The results showed that on a scale of how attractive the men were for a long term relationship, Flashy Dave was only rated as 43 points out of 80, while Frugal Dan received 67 points.

結果顯示，就他們在長期感情關係方面的吸引力而言，招搖的戴維只得到了43分的評價，而節儉的丹得到了67分（滿分80分）。

The researchers concluded that when a man throws money around on fancy cars, people intuitively interpret it to mean he is more interested in a short-term dalliance than a romantic commitment.

研究人員得出結論說，當一名男子砸錢買豪車時，人們會本能地將其解讀爲車主更喜歡一時的風流而不是一世的承諾。

“Participants demonstrated an intuitive understanding that men investing in the display of goods featuring exaggerated sensory properties have reproductive strategies with higher mating effort and greater interest in short-term sexual relationships, as well as lower paternal investment and interest in long-term committed romantic relationships than men investing in practical considerations,” said Dr Daniel Kruger, of the University of Michigan.

密歇根大學的丹尼爾·克魯格博士說：“參與者本能地理解爲，爲外觀浮誇的物品投資的男性的繁殖策略是對交配投入更多，對短期性關係更有興趣，相比買實用車的男性，對後代投資更少，對長期穩定的感情關係更沒興趣。”

The authors, who are married came up with the idea for the study while driving in their car.

研究報告的作者是一對夫婦，他們是在開車途中想到這個研究主題的。

“We lived in a historic district in an inner-city area, and there was a store nearby that sold enormous car wheels and had them hanging in the window,” he added.

丹尼爾說：“我們住在內城的一個古城區，附近有一家商店出售巨大的車輪，這些車輪就掛在櫥窗上。”

“That was our inspiration for this study.”

“那就是這項研究的靈感來源。”

The research was published in Evolutionary Psychological Science.

該研究發表在《進化心理學》上。