Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadix
As most of you have probably seen, I asked a question identical to this one except switching the genders. On this question we have about 60% yes and 40% no, whereas on that other one it's 80% yes and 20% no. Yes it is true that this one has a larger sample size, but another thing I should point out is that as I've watched this topic recently, I've realized that the recent votes have been no. Another difference I should point out is that the people expressing their opposition when the man is older are much more outraged, as you can see, they describe it as "disturbing" and "wrong" whereas when the woman is older, it will be more along the lines of "maybe it's not the best idea". There is quite obviously a double standard.
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No, it is not quite obviously a double standard. I am not saying that there is no double standard - I am saying that you are drawing unjustified conclusions claiming the existence of a double standard.
What do we know for sure?
Only one thing - that dating relationships when the woman is much younger than the man are still much more commonplace than the opposite kind. Because there are many such relationships, people might have formed opinions that make sense to them about such relationships. Most people know somebody or somebody's brother in such a relationship. That could fully explain why people are so much more opinionated - they have had a chance to form an opinion because of their own experiences and/or their observations.
A relationship between a 45 year old woman and a 20 year old man is for most people hypothetical. They have not been in one like that. They do not know anybody who has. So they have not formed an opinion and thus are much less likely to vote.
So the different in numbers might be fully explainable by the high prevalence of older man / younger woman couples than the other way around.
Or it might not.
But from the poll results it cannot be concluded that there is a double standard.