Melbourne, Mar 10: When money is tight, women choose gentler and more feminine-looking men compared to a more masculine and macho person, according to a new study.

Using online dating profiles morphed to create more masculine or more feminine facial features, the study of almost 700 people by the University of Queensland's school of psychology showed that women with less money or financial security preferred to date men with more feminine looks, News.com.au reported.

Study co-author and evolutionary psychologist Dr Shelli Dubbs said that the women perceived the softer-looking men to be less likely to stray, kinder and more willing to share their money and assets with them and their children.

She said that the study supported the findings of other similar international studies and defied the old adage that nice guys always finish last.

She asserted that the women of lower socio-economic status, whose career prospects weren't as good, and had less financial security overall, had very different mate preferences.

Dubbs said while men with more masculine looks are arguably seen as having better genes, stronger, being more dominant and potentially commanding bigger incomes, women also saw them as bad-boy, who are more likely to cheat on them.

She said women went for macho men when they were ovulating. (ANI)