Thirty years after Harrison and Saeed: Does the medium make the message?

In 1977, Harrison and Saeed published what became the classic study of personal advertisements. They found that women tended to offer youth and attractiveness, while seeking financial security or wealth. Men, in turn, sought youth and attractiveness, while offering financial security. The purpose of the current study was to determine if changes in the medium used for personal ads (Internet versus print) has had an impact on stated preferences in mate selection. Our results duplicated the Harrison and Saeed (1977) findings, suggesting that neither the medium, nor the societal changes of the last 30 years, have had any effect on mate selection. In a supplementary analysis of women in the 50–69 age group, however, we found that these women were less willing to date older men, preferring younger partners.