Oz Dating

Yet another Aussie sex survey has been completed. It looks like it was one of the bigger ones because it was completed by 10000 Australian men and women.

There are some interesting results. For instance about a third of people would happily sleep with someone on a first date, while approximately the same number of people prefer to wait until they're in a committed relationship.

So, we're certainly not prudes. But we do have some standards!

Dating site RSVP has commissioned a new survey on Australian online dating. It was very comprehensive, and turned up lots of interesting information. One thing that comes across loud and clear is that online dating is firmly established and definitely mainstream. If it isn't the most common way single people find each other these days, then it must be pretty close to it!

Here's another interesting - but hardly earth shattering - little revelation about the differences in dating behavior between men and women: Psychological testing has revealed that women tend to eat less when on a date with a man than at other times.

The researches who carried out the study believe that this is because smaller meals signal attractiveness. Although why that might be is not clear. Perhaps it's because it shows the man that the woman is very conscious of her weight, and wishes to be pleasing to the eye? Or maybe it's to highlight the difference in behavior - in much the same way that women wear dresses as opposed to trousers?

Quite often research confirms something that most of us know already from personal experience. Here's an example: A study carried out at James Madison University in Virginia has confirmed that when it comes to dating, men are more in it for no-commitment fun, while women tend to look for long-term, committed relationships.

The oddly named dating site Ashely Madison was very popular (and controversial) in America, where it began. It is launching in Australia, provoking a similar reaction.

Conservative are claiming that it breaks up marriages, while the numbers of people signing up are huge, with 18000 Aussies already on the database.

It's interesting that jealousy is often called "the green-eyed monster", because recent research has linked that emotion with vision. It seems that when women feel jealousy, their vision is actually impaired to some degree.

Australians do have a reputation for being laid back, easy-going and generally unenthusiastic about formality. This does seem to have foundation in truth if the results of a recent survey on relationship behavior are to be believed. They showed that almost half of Aussie couples don't make a habit of going out on dates - with about a quarter saying they almost never do.

It's amazing how emotionally resilient these young Australian celebrities are. Take the beautiful young Aussie actress Jodi Gordon. Only last year she made headlines by being involved in a scandalous incident with an alleged bikie, then splitting with Ryan Stokes (son of media magnate Kerry Stokes).

That kind of experience would have made a lot of women very reluctant to get involved with anyone else for quite some time. It could have permanently soured their view of the media, and forced them to to resolve never court its attention again.

However, not only has Gordon already found another handsome, fit and successful young beau, but she is happily telling the media about her relationship with him!

She has come through this experience surprisingly unscathed (or at least it seems that way). In her resilience, she is not unlike her fellow Aussie celebrities Michael Clarke and Lara Bingle. 

We are all familiar with the stereotype of the dumb blonde, which continues to persist even in these post-feminist times.

Not only is it inaccurate; it seems to be the opposite of what is really the case. That is, blondes might actually be quite a bit smarter than average - at least when it comes to money!  A University of Queensland study of 13000 women revealed that blondes tend to earn 7% more than other women and also generally marry richer men.

An academic who ran the study thinks these results might be due to the strong association between blondeness and beauty (as opposed to blondeness and lower intelligence). But you never know, the latter (reputed) quality might have something to do with the results - at least as it pertains to marriage. Maybe those rich men want a beautiful and intellectually non-threatening wife?

Michael Clarke and Lara Bingle were a very popular celebrity couple who were seemingly deliriously happy with each other until a few weeks ago. Then everything went belly up very quickly. But neither of them seems to be have been too badly affected by their very public breakup.

Michael Clarke was out partying for his 29th birthday. And there are rumours that Lara Bingle has already found herself a new man.

Either their relationship didn't mean as much to them as it seemed - or they are both extremely emotionally resilient!