The researchers carried out several experiments to come up with their startling argument. They first looked at the number of eligible men in an area, which they called the 'operational sex ratio'. After collecting data from across the U.S., they found that as the number of eligible men in a state decreased, the proportion of women in highly paid careers rose. In addition, the women who became mothers in those states did so at an older age and had fewer children....In fact, there are several practical uses to which this information can be put.
Those women who saw themselves as being less desirable than average were highly likely to be career-orientated.
1. Working woman neg. The fact that she's a self-identified career girl tells you that she's probably got appearance anxieties that can be profitably played upon. Example: "Wow, you're really quite attractive for a lawyer." (Seriously, your television lies to you. I went to a law school party once at which every woman in the class was there. There was not one single woman I would describe as even remotely attractive there. My investment banking friend and I couldn't believe how uniformly ugly the women were.)
2. Counteracting social pressure on high school and college-age girls. Example: "You're attractive enough to find a husband and have a family, but if you don't think so, college/grad school is probably a great fallback plan."
3. Convincing your wife to stay home rather than seek outside employment. Example: "I suppose I probably am the hotter half. I'll stay home and take care of the kids while you go out and make the money."