In an earlier post (see here), I discussed a study wherein researchers had explored variables that affect the amount of money that men spend on engagement rings. In today's post, I return to the general topic but I focus on the so-called wedding ring effect, which refers to the folk belief that married men, who signal their marital status via the wearing of a wedding ring, are construed by women as more desirable. The argument is that by wearing a wedding ring, a man is publicly acknowledging that: (1) he is taken and as such he has the capacity to commit to a long-term relationship; (2) some woman has found him desirable enough to choose him as her long-term mate. Accordingly, via the process of mate-copying, which has been found in numerous species, other women will process this valuable information, and conclude that such a taken man (all other things equal) must possess some desirable qualities. Effectively, this corresponds to the "why are all the good men always taken?" adage.