A study reported here found that men find “nice” (responsive) women attractive but women are not initially attracted to “nice” men.
“A responsive person is one that is supportive of another’s needs and goals … Men who perceived female partners as more responsive also perceived them as more feminine, and more attractive. However, the association between responsiveness and male partner’s masculinity was not significant for women. Women’s perceptions of partner responsiveness were marginally and negatively associated with perceptions of partner attractiveness.”
Julian O'Dea 
Posted by Julian O'Dea on July 30, 2014 at 6:55 am
Roissy is onto this as well:
http://heartiste.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/women-prefer-jerks-and-men-prefer-nicegirls/
Posted by MarcusD on August 2, 2014 at 3:47 am
An interesting blog post I saw recently: http://chesscraft.blogspot.ca/2011/09/14-most-beautiful-and-hottest-chess.html
Posted by Julian O'Dea on August 2, 2014 at 4:04 am
Yes, that is fascinating. Somewhat in the same genre as an old spread Playboy did on The Women of Mensa. But nicer.
I once met a girl who was the best female chess player in one of the Eastern European countries. She was staying with a friend who was a good chess player. She was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.
For a while it looked like Judit Polgar might become world champion (men and women) but she seemed to burn out. Maybe family responsibilities, or maybe that easing in intellectual ability which I believe can be observed in women in their twenties.
Chess is a strange game, because it has separate competitions for men and women. I don’t think bridge does, for example.
Posted by Jim on August 2, 2014 at 4:47 am
I remember being only 9 years old and was able to teach my mom how to play chess. I never did refine my skills though since no one around seemed interested in playing it.
As for women and chess….yes. There is a women’s league of chess and a women’s league of poker. The game seems to require more of a male brain in some ways it seems.
“maybe that easing in intellectual ability which I believe can be observed in women in their twenties.”
Elaborate on this if you would.
Posted by Julian O'Dea on August 2, 2014 at 5:37 am
My mother was a good chess player. I have never been very good, although I learned very young. It is one of those things that seems to require a very high IQ.
The point about women’s intellectual capacity dwindling in their twenties is just an impression I get. In part women tend to turn their attentions to mate-finding, homemaking and having children in their twenties. Also, there is some evidence that men develop more slowly intellectually than women, but eventually reach a higher level. This is one reason why girls do so well at school, but less well afterwards. So, some of the apparent decline in female ability in their twenties might be due to the relative improvement in men’s capacities.
Schopenhauer made some of these points in his classic essay On Women.
I have also theorised that women’s intelligence is important for assessing the intelligence of potential mates. If there is anything in this, the need for women to maintain their intelligence once they are past the prime pair-bonding time (say about 20 historically) may be diminished. In a sense, her brains have done their job and it is time for her ovaries to take over.
Posted by Julian O'Dea on August 3, 2014 at 12:54 pm
This is relevant:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/07/fred-reed/sexual-integration-is-a-bad-idea/
“Resegregation by sex, which would be both cheap and easy, is probably vital to the future of the United States. The bright little boys now being pushed under become, especially after the male IQ spurt in adolescence, the phenomenally intelligent young men who found Intel, Google, Dell Computer, Microsoft and, perhaps less crucially, Facebook.
I do not mean to disparage the contributions of Victims’ Studies to technological advance and industrial excellence, and indeed their record cannot be questioned, but men too have contributed around the edges, and perhaps should not be stifled by education both unsuited and hostile to them.”
Fred Reed can really write. That last bit of irony is delicious.
Posted by Jim on August 3, 2014 at 4:27 pm
Yup. Fred Reed is a very talented writer and once again hits the nail on the head.
Posted by MarcusD on August 2, 2014 at 7:02 pm
For a while it looked like Judit Polgar might become world champion (men and women) but she seemed to burn out. Maybe family responsibilities, or maybe that easing in intellectual ability which I believe can be observed in women in their twenties.
I’ve read a couple of studies that would suggest that testosterone is a primary factor in such a burnout (that is, a burnout in terms of ‘career’-orientation). Testosterone levels in women decline faster than men (and are also typically a tenth of that of men).
I recall an interesting study that found that female trial lawyers had quite high testosterone levels, and much higher than stay-at-home mothers.
Posted by Julian O'Dea on August 3, 2014 at 5:45 am
That is interesting. Of course, one could argue that being a trial lawyer would raise your testosterone. But a rapid decline in testosterone in women in their twenties might explain some of the decreased interest in the life of the mind and invention.
I have certainly noticed what I think might have been testosterone level fluctuations in my life, with resultant changes in habits and attitudes.
Posted by Butterfly Flower on August 20, 2014 at 6:58 pm
Perhaps the IQ fluctuations in 20-something women, are related to pregnancy hormones surges? When I was pregnant last year, my head got so jumbled I thought I had a brain tumor! My crossword solving skills still haven’t fully recovered.
Also, there was a study from a year or two ago, that showed that driving while pregnant increases crashes by approximately 42%.
Posted by Julian O'Dea on August 20, 2014 at 8:19 pm
Yes. Good point. I read reports that IQ drops in pregnancy years ago but it is not a popular finding obviously.