CAN'T find the one for you?

Research carried out by Singapore Management University (SMU) professor Norman Li could provide some insight. According to Prof Li's data, local men and women tend to value material factors when looking for a partner, reports The Straits Times.

A survey of about 400 psychology students from SMU and Northern Illinois University, aged between 19 to 21, has shown that Singaporean women tend to cherish a man's social status more than their American counterparts.

Singaporean women ranked that factor as their number one consideration, followed by kindness and a lively personality.

On the other hand, American women placed kindness as their top criterion, followed by looks and a man's social standing.

Singaporean men seem to look through the lenses of materialism when searching for their other half, too: both American and Singaporean men went for looks first, according to the survey.

They placed kindness and a lively personality as their next two choices.

While Prof Li did not ask his subjects for their reasons, he provided possible reasons for the findings in an interview with The Straits Times.

Citing the high standard of living in Singapore, he surmised that Singaporean women could just be realistic. Moreover, the high level of education and the high earning power of these women also create higher expectations of what they look for in a future partner.

Prof Li noted that while men value looks, they don't need a partner who is the most beautiful person - just someone who is "at least minimally attractive".

"Once men obtain the minimal level of physical attraction, they value other traits," he added.

The professor also explained that attractiveness, in men's eyes, are essentially "visual cues of youth and sexual maturity". These cues include soft skin and hair, full-looking lips, a healthy complexion and large eyes, he told The Straits Times.