How women can fend off romantic rivals by splurging on 'fancy purses'

A new research has revealed that women unconsciously deter romantic rivals by buying certain luxury items.

Author Yajin Wang and Vladas Griskevicius from University of Minnesota women spend on luxury goods because they want other women to know their mates are spoken for.

The researchers said that women at different ages and relationship status inferred that a woman with designer outfits and accessories has a more devoted partner.

They also spontaneously inferred the partner financially contributed to these luxurious possessions and such information is especially valuable when their relationship is threatened by another woman.

In a series of experiments, the researchers activated women's motivation to guard their relationships by having them imagine their romantic partners being flirtatious and intimate with another woman at a party. Then they assessed participants' desires for luxury products.

The authors found that women indicated they would be less likely to pursue a man whose partner was wearing a luxury outfit and accessories because they perceived the man to be more devoted.

"Whereas men often display luxury products to the opposite sex, women often seek to flaunt expensive possessions to the same sex," the authors said.

The researchers concluded that Fendi handbags fend off romantic rivals, and flaunting designer products says "Back off!"

The study is published in the Journal of Consumer Research.