Men’s Health, a popular magazine for the gents, recently surveyed 1,400 women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s to learn what women want from a partner and life and how these desires change with age. Here’s what they learned. Click here to see the entire survey.

Women in Their 20s

According to Nina K. Thomas, Ph.D., a psychologist based in New York City, women in their 20s have three priorities: a career, a personal identity, and a relationship. Socializing is also very important to young women and the ladies are drawn to adventure and excitement.

When it comes to qualities twenty-something women seek in a long-term partner, kindness topped the list. Quality communication is also important to young women. The ladies want to talk to their partners and be able to share the triumphs and disappointments of day-to-day living. The gals want a partner who will truly listen to what they have to say and actively participate in a conversation. Compassion is also an important quality as are men who value friendship, both a woman’s and his own.

Women in Their 30s

When it comes to women in their 30s, Thomas says the ladies are beginning to view themselves as mothers and that "their selection process is much more guided by the idea of settling down and having children." Thirty-somethings are generally more intellectual than their twenty-something counterparts, and they value happiness over socializing and fitting in.

According to the survey, women in their 30s ranked a sense of humor as the most important quality in a long-term partner. They also expect their boyfriend or spouse to be honest and mature. Thirty-something gals wish to honestly express their thoughts and feelings and want a man who will do the same. Despite being more mature and less social than women in their 20s, thirty-somethings still want to have fun and more often than not this fun occurs in the bedroom. The Men’s Health survey revealed that women at this stage of life often experience a sexual awakening.

Women in Their 40s

Women in their 40s are bold in all aspects of their life and according to relationship expert Helen Fisher, Ph.D., they are also “going to be more direct, more decisive, more tough-minded, and perhaps more daring and independent."

Like women in their twenties, forty-something women value kindness in a long-term partner. It was the highest ranked quality. Women in their 40s also value men who pay attention to what a lady has to say and they appreciate men who appreciate them. Men who compliment their forty-something wife or girlfriend will not go unnoticed. Ladies at this stage are more independent than women in their 20s or 30s, and they need a partner who will respect this quality. According to the survey, women in their 40s are more adventurous sexually than they were in their 20s and 30s and they want sex more often.

It doesn’t matter if you’re man or woman, everybody changes over the years. The key to establishing and maintaining a long-term relationship is to understand a partner’s wants and needs and be willing to adapt, as necessary. Your partner, of course, should be willing to do the same.