Women who prefer brainy boyfriends are less likely to show an interest in male-dominated careers like engineering and science, a new study suggests.

Researchers said these types of women are more intent on playing a 'traditional' gender role and gravitate towards more nurturing professions such as teaching and social work.

The study found those who want to date someone smarter than themselves were more likely to distance themselves from paths which involved maths and science.

Women who look for partners who are intelligent are less likely themselves to seek a career in the science, technology, maths or engineering. In the TV series the Big Bang Theory, Penny (right) works as a waitress while her on-off boyfriend Leonard (left) is a physicist

And the same women are also less likely to have a talent or love for maths, the research suggested.

However, those who have no interest in going for a clever partner were more likely to be interested in these paths.

The researchers said that women on the hunt for an intelligent man could be down-playing their own talents either 'strategically' or subconsciously in order to appear more attractive.

MEN'S BRAINS REALLY ARE WIRED DIFFERENTLY FROM WOMEN'S The old adage that men and women's brains are 'just wired differently' may be more accurate than first thought. Scientists have produced a set of 'road maps' for the brain's connections, which they say could explain 'typically' male and female behaviours. The maps show that men's brains may be hardwired for better special awareness and motor skills, while connections in women's brains are wired to give them an edge in memory and social cognition. The findings could help to shed light on brain diseases and behavioural conditions which progress faster in one sex than the other. While our brains share a common 'template' for connecting the different areas, researchers wanted to find out if there were templates for men and women which could explain behaviours we might typically associate with sexes. Scientists produced a set of 'road maps' for the brain, which they say could explain 'typically' male and female behaviours (illustrated) Advertisement

The study, published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, will add to the debate over the lower numbers of girls pursuing careers in science, maths, engineering and technology (STEM).

Concerns have been raised that many are dropping maths and science at an early age and limiting their earning potential, as these subjects are key to many potentially very lucrative areas.

The research, from the University of Buffalo in the US, identified the dating preferences of more than 900 participants.

They found that women were more likely to look for a smarter partner than men and that the more seriously they felt about this, the more traditional they were in gender roles.

The researchers then put the maths skills of their participants to the test before analysing how much they enjoyed maths and how interested they were in it while they thought of their dream partner.

The results revealed that the women who were most driven in finding a smarter man were the poorest at maths and the least interested in STEM careers.

Study author Professor Lora Park, of Buffalo University in the US, said: 'What we found is that not all women reacted equally to these romantic goal primes.

'Women who had a traditional romantic partner preference of wanting to date someone smarter than themselves were the ones who distanced themselves the most from STEM fields when they thought about romantic goals.'

Prof Park added: 'In general terms, women have made many advancements, but in certain fields of STEM they haven't made that much progress.

'I was surprised by the fact that some women have this preference.

'But I wasn't surprised that this preference led to worse outcomes in these masculine fields.'

Figures from the Wise Campaign, which aims to get more women into STEM careers, reveal that women make up just one in seven of the UK STEM workforce.