Most studies were carried out on undergraduate students
These women were expected to achieve a high education status leading to a secure income, so their preference for high-status men may stem from similar interests and prospects, rather than be a search for a resourceful mate
Research may suffer from a problem of validity, in terms that it measures expressed partner preferences rather than real-life ones
It is a retrospective approach, largely based on speculations about what may or may not have been evolutionary adaptive for our ancestors
There is no reliable way to check whether these suggestions are valid
In Clark and Hatfield's research, none of the females said 'yes' when being asked "will you go to bed with me tonight?"
Females prefer

Quality over quantity
Males prefer

Quantity over quality
This supports the fact that women are selective but consequently this suggests that evolutionary explanations won't apply to all females
Buss found that females favour more resource-related characteristics whereas males focus on attractiveness
The universality of partner preferences suggests that they have evolved to a response that ensures survival and healthy reproduction
