Society has done a very good job of laying out the expectations for dating. If we are following the national playbook, the man respectfully request that a woman goes on a date with him, he picks her up at her doorstep, takes her to a nice restaurant and/or other outing, pays for her meal and any other related activities and politely drops her off safely at her abode.

But not everyone subscribes to the national playbook. Sometimes, the man is asked out by the woman or hell, two women go out on a date or three men end up in a relationship.

To provide further context for what Black men and women want in a mate, Zoosk conducted a survey using data collected from its dating app. Analyzing the most popular words used by Black women and men when describing their “perfect match,” researchers discovered the following:

  • “Ambitious” is the 4th most mentioned trait for Black women in their 20s and ranks 7th for those in their 30s
  • Spirituality is a priority for African-Americans, with Black women in their 30s ranking “god” as the 6th most mentioned trait, Black men over 50 ranked the trait as the 5th most mentioned
  • Black men want a woman who is open and beautiful. “Open” is the 6th most mentioned trait for Black men in their 30s. “Beautiful” is the 6th most mentioned trait for Black men in their 20s, and the 8th most mentioned trait for Black men in their 30s.

“Honest” ranked number one on the list of traits desired by Black women who used the app. For women in their 20s and 50s it was the second most mentioned trait. Men of all ages listed “funny” (or “laugh”) as their top trait for a mate.

Black men are also looking for a woman who is ambitious. For Black men in their 30s, the trait ranked number 3.

Click here for more on the study.