Demi, Madonna the exception: 'cougar culture' a 'myth'

Demi Moore is married to one. Madonna is dating one. And Sam Taylor Wood has recently had a baby with a younger man.

'Toyboys' are in fashion in the celebrity world, but for the less well-known, this so-called "cougar culture" doesn't exist, according to British psychologists.

The journal Evolution and Human Behaviour dashed the hopes of older women seeking younger lovers when they published findings that dispute the 'toyboy' phenomenon displayed in popular TV shows such as Sex and the City.

Dr Michael Dunn, a psychologist at the University of Wales, led the study, which involved analysing the age preferences of 22,000 men and women using online dating sites across 14 countries.

It seems that in the real world, both men and women are still somewhat traditional when it comes to finding a long-term partner.

Women generally pursue older men and focus "on cues indicative of wealth and status [which] logically accumulate with age," according to Dr Dunn.

It was also discovered that men seek young and attractive females, often preferring a much younger partner as they themselves age - which is a theory also supported in Hollywood by the likes of Ronnie Wood and Mickey Rourke.

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