Demographics of inceldom: Difference between revisions

A 2025 study by Hara & Yu examines the role Japanese women's high standards play in these social phenomena, in particular, Japanese women reported being less likely to compromise on ideal preferences for male partner's levels of income, were more choosy overall, and less flexible overall in their stated ideal mate preferences.<ref>https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.13088</ref> Their research supported 'beauty exchange theory' or the idea that men trade access to economic resources for more physically attractive female partners, which has been contested in other, largely Western samples. More educated and higher earning men reported higher mate standards in regard to beauty and younger age. Hapanese women's mate preferences were 'unwavering', with their own income, age, location, and stated desire for marriage affecting it, though interesting more educated women did report a lower preference for male income (''ibid'', Table 4, pp. 16-17). This suggests that slow Japanese growth and other economic trouble has been a large factor contributing to their high incel rate and low fertility, if women's self-reported preference are seen as indicating their actual mating behavior and willingness to partner with men of different income levels. The link between male income and mate standards in this study may also indicate another potential pathway via which these economic factors become salient in this context, i.e., in cultures where male provision is highly demanded and expected, the lack of ability to align with this standard may result in demoralization and lack of pursuit of women, further exacerbating the issue and possibly playing a role in the phenomenon of isolated (and mostly sexless) Japanese men like the hikkikomori.