scholarly journals Mating Decisions in the Absence of Physical Attraction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn P. White ◽  
Peter K. Jonason ◽  
Laith Al-Shawaf
Keyword(s):  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Casual Sex ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Potential Partner ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Physical Attraction ◽  
Physically Attractive

Abstract Objective Mates high in physical attractiveness are in short supply, which means that not all people are able to find mates who are sufficiently attractive. Threshold models of mate preferences suggest that when physical attractiveness minimums are not reached, other traits possessed by a potential partner may play a lesser role in mate choice. However, few studies have sought to understand mating decisions when those minimums are not met. Methods In this experiment (N = 186), participants rated images of (pre-rated) unattractive opposite-sex others for long-term and short-term relationships after learning dealbreaker or dealmaker information. Results While participants did not find targets highly desirable or physically attractive (as a stimulus check), men were more willing than women to have casual sex, and that men and women reported similar desirability ratings towards long-term partners. Learning dealbreakers was associated with less desire for the targets than dealmakers, but women’s lack of interest was insensitive to mating context, whereas men found the target especially undesirable in the long-term context. Additionally, men were willing to consider a long-term relationship with a physically unattractive partner who possessed dealmakers, but not one who possessed dealbreakers. Conclusions Our discussion focuses on men and women’s mating decisions when potential partners fail to meet minimum thresholds for physical attractiveness. Future research is needed to explore the magnitude of the effect of meeting or failing to meet one’s minimum thresholds for physical attractiveness.

scholarly journals Netflix and Chill? What Sex Differences Can Tell Us About Mate Preferences in (Hypothetical) Booty-Call Relationships

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 147470491881213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evita March ◽  
George Van Doorn ◽  
Rachel Grieve
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Emotional Involvement ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Sexual Characteristics ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Women’S Preferences

The booty-call relationship is defined by both sexual characteristics and emotional involvement. In the current study, men’s and women’s preferences for a booty-call mate were explored. Men and women were predicted to exhibit different mate preferences depending on whether they considered a booty-call relationship a short- or long-term relationship. Participants ( N = 559, 74% women) completed an anonymous online questionnaire, designing their ideal booty-call mate using the mate dollars paradigm. Both sexes considered the physical attractiveness and kindness of a booty-call mate a necessity, expressing both short- and long-term mate preferences. The current study highlights the need to explore mate preferences outside the dichotomy of short- and long-term relationships, providing evidence of a compromise relationship.

scholarly journals Mate preferences toward agency and communion

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Marcin Moroń
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behavior ◽  
Social Perception ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Direct Test ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Potential Partner ◽  
Agency And Communion ◽  
Human Mating

Agency and communion constitute two fundamental dimensions of social perception. Universal dimensions of mate preferences represent both agentic and communal content, but a direct test of mate preferences toward agency and communion is lacking. The present study examined preferences toward agentic and communal traits in mate preferences among 206 heterosexual individuals (112 females), analysing the role of the target's sex and actor's sexual strategy. Results showed that women demonstrated higher expectations toward agentic and communal traits in a potential partner than men. Preference for agency in short-term relationships did not differ from preferences toward agency and communion in long-term relationships, but preferences toward communion of partner in short-term relationships was significantly lower. These results were discussed in light of the signaling role of agency and communion in human mating behavior.

scholarly journals Are Sex Differences in Preferences for Physical Attractiveness and Good Earning Capacity in Potential Mates Smaller in Countries With Greater Gender Equality?

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 147470491985292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingshan Zhang ◽  
Anthony J. Lee ◽  
Lisa M. DeBruine ◽  
Benedict C. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Multiple Comparisons ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Earning Capacity ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Physically Attractive

On average, women show stronger preferences for mates with good earning capacity than men do, while men show stronger preferences for physically attractive mates than women do. Studies reporting that sex differences in mate preferences are smaller in countries with greater gender equality have been interpreted as evidence that these sex differences in mate preferences are caused by the different roles society imposes on men and women. Here, we attempted to replicate previously reported links between sex differences in mate preferences and country-level measures of gender inequality in a sample of 3,073 participants from 36 countries (data and code available at https://osf.io/4sr5f/ ). Although women preferred mates with good earning capacity more than men did and men preferred physically attractive mates more than women did, we found little evidence that these sex differences were smaller in countries with greater gender equality. Although one analysis suggested that the sex difference in preferences for good earning capacity was smaller in countries with greater gender equality, this effect was not significant when controlling for Galton’s problem or when correcting for multiple comparisons. Collectively, these results provide little support for the social roles account of sex differences in mate preferences.

scholarly journals Giving Guys Get the Girls: Men Appear More Desirable to the Opposite Sex When Displaying Costly Donations to the Homeless

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Wendy Iredale ◽  
Keli Jenner ◽  
Mark Van Vugt ◽  
Tammy Dempster
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Positive Parenting ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Mate Quality ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Short And Long Term

One of the evolutionary adaptive benefits of altruism may be that it acts as an honest (reliable) signal of men’s mate quality. In this study, 285 female participants were shown one of three video scenarios in which a male target took £30 out of a cash machine (ATM) and gave either a lot (£30), a little (£1), or nothing to a homeless man. The participants rated the male target on his attractiveness, their short- and long-term mate preferences towards him, and the degree to which they thought he was likely to possess various parenting qualities. The results showed that, regardless of whether the man was described as rich or poor, participants rated him as being more attractive when he donated money, but only when the donation was costly (£30). In addition, altruism was shown to be important in long-term, but not short-term mate choice, and displays of altruism were associated with positive parenting qualities. It is argued that displays of altruism act as a reliable (honest) mate signal for a potential long-term parental partner.

scholarly journals Mutual mate choice drives the desirability of altruism in relationships

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Farrelly ◽  
Laura King
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Study Materials ◽  
Mutual Mate Choice ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Important Trait ◽  
Short And Long Term

Although previous research has found that altruism is an important trait in human mate choice, much of this has concentrated on female preferences only. Subsequently, the current study explored how both men and women desire altruistic partners who varied in physical attractiveness for both short and long term romantic relationships. A sample of 136 women and 53 men viewed profiles of members of the opposite sex of either high or low physical attractiveness, alongside scenarios that described them as either being altruistic or not. Participants then rated each targets’ desirability as both a short and long term partner. As hypothesised, altruism was rated more desirable, particularly for long term relationships, by both men and women. However there were inconsistent findings when physical attractiveness was accounted for, which did not support the hypotheses nor directly replicate previous findings. Overall it was concluded that although the study provided strong support for the desirability of altruism being due to mutual mate choice, the additional effects of examining other mate choice traits such as attractiveness shows much is still to be known. Study materials and data available at DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/STXPF

scholarly journals Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1955) ◽  
pp. 20211115
Author(s):  
Kathryn V. Walter ◽  
Daniel Conroy-Beam ◽  
David M. Buss ◽  
Kelly Asao ◽  
Agnieszka Sorokowska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Divorce Rates ◽  
Power Of Choice ◽  
Human Mating ◽  
The Relationship

A wide range of literature connects sex ratio and mating behaviours in non-human animals. However, research examining sex ratio and human mating is limited in scope. Prior work has examined the relationship between sex ratio and desire for short-term, uncommitted mating as well as outcomes such as marriage and divorce rates. Less empirical attention has been directed towards the relationship between sex ratio and mate preferences, despite the importance of mate preferences in the human mating literature. To address this gap, we examined sex ratio's relationship to the variation in preferences for attractiveness, resources, kindness, intelligence and health in a long-term mate across 45 countries ( n = 14 487). We predicted that mate preferences would vary according to relative power of choice on the mating market, with increased power derived from having relatively few competitors and numerous potential mates. We found that each sex tended to report more demanding preferences for attractiveness and resources where the opposite sex was abundant, compared to where the opposite sex was scarce. This pattern dovetails with those found for mating strategies in humans and mate preferences across species, highlighting the importance of sex ratio for understanding variation in human mate preferences.

scholarly journals What you see is what you want to get: Perceived abilities outperform objective test performance in predicting mate appeal in speed dating

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Hofer ◽  
Roman Burkart ◽  
Laura Langmann ◽  
Aljoscha Neubauer
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Spatial Intelligence ◽  
Speed Dating ◽  
Subjective Perceptions ◽  
Ability Tests ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Ability Perceptions ◽  
Initial Attraction

Are intelligent, creative, and emotionally competent people more desirable? Evolution-based theories and cross-cultural studies on the ideal partner suggest that they are, with some differences between the sexes and between short-term (ST) and long-term (LT) relationships. However, research that went beyond hypothetical partners and that used psychometric ability tests instead of relying on subjective ability perceptions is sparse. We aimed to assess whether people’s verbal, numerical, and spatial intelligence, creativity, and intra- and interpersonal emotional competence could predict their ST and LT mate appeal. 87 women and 88 men completed psychometric ability measures and participated in heterosexual speed dating. There, they met up to 14 members of the opposite sex and reported their interest in having an ST and LT relationship with each partner as well as their subjective perceptions of the partner’s abilities. External raters assessed the participants’ physical attractiveness. While perceived abilities could broadly predict mate appeal, only one measured ability – women’s creativity – showed a significant association to mate appeal. Notably, effects of perceived and measured abilities were substantially reduced after controlling for physical attractiveness. These results suggest that the investigated abilities – and particularly intelligence – play a lesser role in initial attraction than proposed in the past.

Sex Differences in Mate Preferences in Australia: Exploring Evolutionary and Social-Economic Theories

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 18-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evita March ◽  
Ann Bramwell
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Economic Theories ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Potential Partner ◽  
The Status

Extensive research on sex differences in mate preferences has found that men desire the physical attractiveness of a potential partner more than do women, and women desire the status and resources potential partner more than do men. The aim of the current study was to explore these sex differences in mate preferences specifically in the Australian culture, a culture that has not yet received attention in mate preferences literature. The current study predicted Australian men and women would exhibit traditional sex differences in mate preferences. The current study also aimed to explore the effect of variation in Australian women's socio-economic status (SES) and their corresponding ratings of characteristics in a potential partner. One hundred and forty-four Australian participants completed a mate selection questionnaire and results supported traditional sex differences in mate preferences. Results also found that women's SES had no effect on desirability of status and resources, but positively related to desirability of physical attractiveness in a potential partner. Results are discussed in terms of evolutionary and social-economic theories.

scholarly journals Assortative mate preferences for height do not differ for short- versus long-term relationships (pre-print 08.2020)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Pisanski ◽  
Maydel Fernandez ◽  
Nadir Diaz ◽  
Anna Oleszkiewicz ◽  
Adrian Sardinas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Relationship Context ◽  
Potential Partner ◽  
Relationship Partners

We tested whether positive assortative preferences for height are observed in a large cross-cultural sample of men and women (536 adults aged 15-77 from Canada, Cuba, Norway and the United States), and whether assortative preferences for height differ for hypothetical long- versus short-term relationship partners. Participants indicated their height preferences for a long- and short-term mate using graphic stimuli. Replicating previous research, participants generally preferred taller-than-average men and women of approximately average height across cultures. However, positive assortative preferences for height were only weakly observed in either sex, and the strength of these relationships did not vary by relationship context. Assortative preferences for height also did not vary by the participants’ country of residence, nationality, or categorized ethnicity. Our results provide further evidence that the positive relationship between an individual’s own height and the preferred height of a potential partner is not strongly influenced by cultural factors and provide the first evidence that, in contrast to mate preferences for masculine androgen-mediated traits, height preferences do not vary as a function of relationship context.

scholarly journals Fertile women evaluate male bodies as more attractive, regardless of masculinity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Jünger ◽  
Tobias L. Kordsmeyer ◽  
Tanja M. Gerlach ◽  
Lars Penke
Keyword(s):  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Good Genes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Ovulatory Cycle ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Large N

Ovulatory cycle shifts in women’s mate preferences have been documented for several physical and behavioral traits. Research suggests that, at peak fertility, women tend to prefer men with characteristics that reflect good genes for short-term sexual relationships. However, existing findings have been criticized for methodological flexibility and failing attempts to replicate core results. In a large (N=157), pre-registered, within-subject study spanning two ovulatory cycles, we investigated cycle shifts in women’s mate preferences for masculine bodies. Using a large set of natural stimuli, we found that when fertile, women’s ratings of male bodies increased for sexual as well as for long-term attractiveness. Both effects were partially mediated by the estradiol-to-progesterone-ratio. Furthermore, moderation analyses revealed that both shifts were only evident in women in relationships, but not in singles. Contrary to previous findings, male masculine traits did not interact with cycle phase to predict attraction, indicating that women’s preferential priorities do not shift. Taken together, our results do not support women’s mate preference shifts, as assumed by the good genes ovulatory shift hypothesis, but are consistent with shifting motivational priorities throughout the cycle. Implications of these results for female estrus theories and methodological recommendations for future research are discussed.

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