article_snippet: Phwoar: A Study by the University of Southampton says women prefer war heroes.
article_snippet: Only males seem to benefit from displaying heroism,' said Dr Leunissen from the University of Southampton .
article_snippet: In the research 92 women studying in the UK were presented with hypothetical profiles of the opposite sex, representing varying levels of heroism in different contexts such as warfare, sport and business.
article_snippet: Women were more likely to find a soldier attractive, and were more inclined to date a soldier attractive, if a soldier attractive had been awarded a medal for bravery in combat.
article_snippet: But whether or not a non-decorated soldier had seen combat in a warzone or remained in the UK did not have a statistically significant effect on a non-decorated soldier attractiveness.
article_snippet: This time, the soldier profiles displayed various levels of bravery, either in combat or by helping in a natural disaster zone.
article_snippet: Again, heroism in combat increased women's levels of sexual attraction towards male soldiers, but heroism in a disaster zone had no impact.
article_snippet: Female heroes, both in combat and in disaster zones, were deemed less attractive by men than men non-hero counterparts. '
article_snippet: This provides evidence for the hypothesis that gender differences in intergroup conflict can have an evolutionary origin, as only males seem to benefit from displaying heroism,' said Dr Joost Leunissen, a psychologist at the University of Southampton. '
article_snippet: Heroism also seems to be a context-specific signal, as it only had an effect on attractiveness in a setting of intergroup conflict. '
article_snippet: Indeed, soldiers who displayed heroism were only considered to be more attractive when this was displayed in a warfare context and not in another situation which is frequently associated with the army - helping during and after natural disasters.'
article_snippet: Raids, battles, and ambushes in ancestral environments, and wars in modern environments, may provide an arena for men to signal men physical and psychological strengths,' said Dr Leunissen. '
article_snippet: Of course, women may not always witness these heroic acts in person, but such information is likely to be widely communicated within a tribal community, particularly when the actions of male warriors are outstandingly brave.'
highlights_snippet: Study by University of Southampton says women prefer war heroes .
  
highlights_snippet: 'Only males seem to benefit from displaying heroism,' said Dr Leunissen from University of Southampton .
  