If a woman really likes a man, she may spend a little more time picking out her clothes and getting ready before seeing him on a date. However, based on new research from York University, they may be wasting their time, as many of today's men care more about brains than beauty, The Daily Mail reported.

Marcel Zentner, a psychologist at the University, led a study that surveyed 12,000 individuals from more than 30 countries. Each of them was asked to describe what they valued in a potential partner, and the results shattered stereotypes some people may still be clinging to.

The researchers found that in certain societies, such as those found in England and Scandinavia, curves and cooking skills take a backseat to intelligence when it comes to what men are looking for in a woman.

"Our study suggests that increases in gender equality in the society around us can also change the way we think about the opposite sex," said Zentner, as quoted by the news source.

If men are looking for intelligent partners, they may be in luck, as James Flynn, an author and professor at the University of Otago, recently found that women have higher IQs than men. He told Bloomberg BusinessWeek that while scores have increased for people around the world, women have made faster gains than men based on the results of their IQ tests.