A new study has challenged the stereotype that gold diggers are exclusively women, revealing that men also pursue partners for their money or status. Researchers from the Behavioural and Social Sciences Institute in Vienna surveyed 351 people about their dating preferences and found that while women with narcissistic and reckless traits are most likely to be gold diggers, men also employ this exploitative mating strategy.
Lead author Lennart Freyth said the findings were unsurprising, noting that if gold digging is a human mating strategy, it makes sense that men would use it, albeit at lower rates. The study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, defined gold digging as prioritising money above all else in a partner, beyond a simple preference for financial stability.
Participants were scored on gold-digging tendencies using a 15-part questionnaire and divided into those seeking intimacy-focused relationships versus materialistic ones. The results showed that gold digging was associated with psychopathy for both sexes. Female gold diggers were also found to be sadistic and lean towards right-wing ideology, while male gold diggers may appear especially sensitive or progressive as a tactic to increase their mating value.
Dr Freyth advised caution with 'big city girls' and students, and warned that even seemingly thoughtful and compassionate men might have ulterior motives. The study was inspired by the song 'Gold Digger' by Kanye West, which captures the public conception of gold diggers as exploitative, avoiding poor partners, and female.
