scholarly journals Evidence of conditional strategies in human friendship

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Arter
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Support ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Relationship Status ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Exploration Strategy ◽  
Skill Building ◽  
Intimate Exchange

Many species employ conditional strategies for reproduction or survival. In other words, each individual “chooses” one of two or more possible phenotypes to maximize survival or reproductive advantage given specific ecological niche conditions (e.g., Moran, 1992). Humans seem to employ at least one conditional reproductive strategy, choosing between a more short-term or a more long-term mating strategy (Gangestad & Simpson, 2000), and as with non-human animals, their choices relate in part to an assessment of their own traits (Belsky, 1997; Schmitt, 2005). However, the selection pressures that individuals of a species can exert on each other are not restricted to mate selection; they can arise from many forms of social interaction (West-Eberhard, 1983; Wolf, Brodie, & Moore, 1999). Evidence suggests that individuals are sensitive to characteristics of the self, friend, and environmental conditions when choosing friends (Fehr, 1996; Rose, 1985; Verbrugge, 1977), and that a person’s economic, social, and environmental circumstances influence how they form and organize their friendships (Adams & Allan, 1998; Feld & Carter, 1998). Thus, in this paper I hypothesize that humans have evolved a coherent range of conditional friendship strategies: that we vary predictably in terms of the friendships we form, based on an assessment of our own traits, others’ traits, and our own current needs. I propose a continuum of individual differences in friendship strategy, anchored on one end by those who use friendships for exploration (e.g., skill-building and networking) and on the other end by those who use friendships for intimate exchange (e.g., emotional support and intimacy). I created a measure assessing this continuum, and found that men tended to report a stronger exploration strategy than women. I also found that people with a stronger exploration strategy also had a more short-term mating strategy and were more extroverted, and that people with a stronger intimate exchange strategy reported themselves to be more kind and generous; these results remained when controlling for gender. However, friendship strategy did not relate to socioeconomic status, age, attachment avoidance, relationship status, or presence of kin relationships. There was some evidence that friendship strategy was related to the number of friends an individual reported having and how close they felt to their friends.

scholarly journals Evidence of conditional strategies in human friendship

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Arter
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Support ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Relationship Status ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Exploration Strategy ◽  
Skill Building ◽  
Intimate Exchange

Many species employ conditional strategies for reproduction or survival. In other words, each individual “chooses” one of two or more possible phenotypes to maximize survival or reproductive advantage given specific ecological niche conditions (e.g., Moran, 1992). Humans seem to employ at least one conditional reproductive strategy, choosing between a more short-term or a more long-term mating strategy (Gangestad & Simpson, 2000), and as with non-human animals, their choices relate in part to an assessment of their own traits (Belsky, 1997; Schmitt, 2005). However, the selection pressures that individuals of a species can exert on each other are not restricted to mate selection; they can arise from many forms of social interaction (West-Eberhard, 1983; Wolf, Brodie, & Moore, 1999). Evidence suggests that individuals are sensitive to characteristics of the self, friend, and environmental conditions when choosing friends (Fehr, 1996; Rose, 1985; Verbrugge, 1977), and that a person’s economic, social, and environmental circumstances influence how they form and organize their friendships (Adams & Allan, 1998; Feld & Carter, 1998). Thus, in this paper I hypothesize that humans have evolved a coherent range of conditional friendship strategies: that we vary predictably in terms of the friendships we form, based on an assessment of our own traits, others’ traits, and our own current needs. I propose a continuum of individual differences in friendship strategy, anchored on one end by those who use friendships for exploration (e.g., skill-building and networking) and on the other end by those who use friendships for intimate exchange (e.g., emotional support and intimacy). I created a measure assessing this continuum, and found that men tended to report a stronger exploration strategy than women. I also found that people with a stronger exploration strategy also had a more short-term mating strategy and were more extroverted, and that people with a stronger intimate exchange strategy reported themselves to be more kind and generous; these results remained when controlling for gender. However, friendship strategy did not relate to socioeconomic status, age, attachment avoidance, relationship status, or presence of kin relationships. There was some evidence that friendship strategy was related to the number of friends an individual reported having and how close they felt to their friends.

Relationship Status Moderates Men’s Conspicuous Consumption of Smartphones

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Hennighausen ◽  
Frank Schwab
Keyword(s):  
Conspicuous Consumption ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Relationship Status ◽  
High Status ◽  
Committed Relationships ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Signaling Systems

By applying the handicap principle, researchers have investigated men’s conspicuous purchases of high-status products as part of sexual signaling systems. Studies have suggested that, as part of short-term mating strategies, men are particularly willing to engage in conspicuous consumption to attract mates. Yet, this research has neglected to examine how relationship status influences conspicuous consumption. In our web-based study involving 352 participants (229 women), men tending towards short-term mating reported greater purchase intentions for a high-status smartphone only when single or in uncommitted relationships, while no association surfaced between mating strategy and conspicuous consumption among men in committed relationships. Results also revealed that, independent of mating strategy and income, single men and men in uncommitted relationships were more willing to purchase a low-status smartphone. Relationship status did not affect women’s conspicuous consumption. With these findings, we argue that relationship status significantly moderates men’s conspicuous consumption, as well as discuss purchases of low-status products as possible signals of men’s interest in long-term mating.

scholarly journals Norwegian Men and Women Value Similar Mate Traits in Short-Term Relationships

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 147470492097962
Author(s):  
Mehmet Mehmetoglu ◽  
Ilmari Määttänen
Keyword(s):  
Mate Selection ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Physical Appearance ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Relationship Length

Previous research has provided evidence that females are generally the more selective sex in humans. Moreover, both sexes have been found to be more selective in long-term mating compared to short-term mating. In this study, we have examined the effects of sex, mating strategy (preferred relationship length) and their interaction on mate preferences (i.e., mate selection criteria) in an egalitarian Nordic society, namely Norway. The study sample consisted of 1,000 individuals, 417 of whom were male and 583 female respondents. According to our findings, men were more selective in physical appearance, whereas women were more selective in all the other mate preferences (e.g., understanding, dominant, kind, intellectual etc.). The respondents that were seeking short-term relationships had higher preference for physical appearance, humorousness and sociability. On the other hand, the respondents that were seeking long-term relationships were more selective in most of the other mate preferences (i.e., understanding, kind, cultivated, domestic, reliable, and similar). Interestingly, no interaction effect was found between sex and mating strategy in that differences between long-term and short-term seekers in mate preferences did not change depending on sex. This suggests that men and women value the same traits in short-term relationships.

scholarly journals Mate-selection and the Dark Triad: Facilitating a short-term mating strategy and creating a volatile environment

2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 759-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter K. Jonason ◽  
Katherine A. Valentine ◽  
Norman P. Li ◽  
Carmelita L. Harbeson
Keyword(s):  
Mate Selection ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Dark Triad ◽  
Short Term

scholarly journals Differential Mating Motives' Influence on Preferences for Facially Communicated Extraversion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitch Brown
Keyword(s):  
Mate Selection ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Motivational States ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Women’S Preferences ◽  
Context Specific

Human facial structures communicate personality from which one can infer another’s behavioral intentions, forming a basis for mate selection. One particularly detectable trait through facial structures is extraversion. Extraversion is a trait associated with heightened interest in promiscuous mating strategies and preferred among individuals similarly interested in short-term mating, implicating extraverted mates as ideal trait for short-term mating. Nonetheless, behavioral repertoires associated with extraversion may also pose risks, particularly in long-term mating, as their increased promiscuity may undermine their fidelity to a specific partner, thereby potentially reducing biparental investment in any offspring produced. Thus, a preference for introversion (i.e., low extraversion) may be desirable in long-term mating. This dissertation sought to determine the extent to which differential mating contexts, as elicited through activating context-specific motives, influence preferences for facially communicated extraversion versus introversion. Men and women were experimentally primed with mating motives, either long-or short-term, or a control state before indicating the extent to which various mating-related motivational states were activated (i.e., arousal, intrasexual competition, infidelity concerns, sociosexually unrestricted attitudes). Finally, I tasked them with indicating their preferences among male and female face pairs manipulated to communicate high and low levels of extraversion. Consistent with previous research, participants reported a preference for extraverted female faces and aversion to extraverted male faces. However, and contrary to hypotheses, differential mating contexts influenced neither men’s nor women’s preferences for extraversion. Furthermore, no motivational states provided the predicted mediation pathways. I frame these results based on various methodological limitations that could inform future research and posit future directions.

scholarly journals Drinking High Amounts of Alcohol as a Short-Term Mating Strategy: The Impact of Short-Term Mating Motivations on Young Adults’ Drinking Behavior

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 147470491770707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eveline Vincke
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Young Men ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Impact

Previous research indicates that drinking large quantities of alcohol could function as a short-term mating strategy for young adults in mating situations. However, no study investigated whether this is actually the case. Therefore, in this article, the link between short-term mating motivations and drinking high amounts of alcohol is tested. First, a survey study ( N = 345) confirmed that young adults who engage in binge drinking are more short-term oriented in their mating strategy than young adults who never engage in binge drinking. Also, the more short-term-oriented young adults were in their mating strategy, the more often binge drinking behavior was conducted. In addition, an experimental study ( N = 229) empirically verified that short-term mating motivations increase young adults’ drinking behavior, more so than long-term mating motivations. Results of the experiment clearly showed that young men and young women are triggered to drink more alcoholic beverages in a short-term mating situation compared to a long-term mating situation. Furthermore, the mating situation also affected young adults’ perception of drinking behavior. Young adults in a short-term mating context perceived a higher amount of alcoholic beverages as heavy drinking compared to peers in a long-term mating context. These findings confirm that a high alcohol consumption functions as a short-term mating strategy for both young men and young women. Insights gained from this article might be of interest to institutions aimed at targeting youth alcohol (ab)use.

scholarly journals Desired Traits in Mate Selection: A Survey of Hispanic-American Female Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
Sharaf Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Mate Selection ◽  
Public University ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Hispanic American ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Selection Research ◽  
Spouse Selection

Abstract Previous research on mate selection has primarily focused on long-term relationships, i.e. spouse selection. Literature suggests that factors and traits playing a significant role in choosing a short-term partner have been mostly overlooked in mate-selection research. The present study, with a sample of 115 Hispanic-American females attending a public university, attempts to determine if there are significant differences in reported preferences when looking for short-term partners versus when looking for a long-term partner. The subjects individually listed their preferences for short-term partners from a list of traits generated by previous research. The participants were then put into groups consisting of five females in each group. Group members discuss their preferences among themselves and generate a list of desirable traits in a long-term partner. This paper reports the findings of the survey in two specific categories. It separates the desired traits for short-term and long-term partners, and it presents the differences in preferences based on relational status, i.e., single or in a relationship.

scholarly journals Short-term and long-term mate preference in men and women in an Iranian population

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Sadat Mirfazeli ◽  
Meng-Chuan Lai ◽  
Amirhossein Memari ◽  
Armin Rajab ◽  
Milad Shafizadeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mate Selection ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Line Drawing ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Women In Sports

AbstractMate preference in short-term relationships and long-term ones may depend on many physical, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. In this study, 178 students (81 females) in sports and 153 engineering students (64 females) answered the systemizing quotient (SQ) and empathizing quotient (EQ) questionnaires and had their digit ratio measured. They rated their preferred mate on 12 black-line drawing body figures varying in body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) for short-term and long-term relationships. Men relative to women preferred lower WHR and BMI for mate selection for both short-term and long-term relationships. BMI and WHR preference in men is independent of each other, but has a negative correlation in women. For men, digit ratio was inversely associated with BMI (p = 0.039, B = − 0.154) preference in a short-term relationship, and EQ was inversely associated with WHR preference in a long-term relationship (p = 0.045, B = − 0.164). Furthermore, men and women in sports, compared to engineering students, preferred higher (p = 0.009, B = 0.201) and lower BMI (p = 0.034, B = − 0.182) for short-term relationships, respectively. Women were more consistent in their preferences for short-term and long-term relationships relative to men. Both biological factors and social/experiential factors contribute to mate preferences in men while in women, mostly social/experiential factors contribute to them.

scholarly journals Functionally Calibrating Life Satisfaction: The Case of Mating Motives and Self-Perceived Mate Value

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahra Ko ◽  
Eunkook M. Suh ◽  
Ji-eun Shin ◽  
Steven Neuberg
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Goal Achievement ◽  
Relationship Status ◽  
Mate Value ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Potential Success ◽  
Mating Goals

Abstract If life satisfaction has functional significance for goal achievement, it should be calibrated to cues of potential success on active and fundamentally important goals. Within the context of mating motivation, we tested this hypothesis with self-perceived mate value—an assessment of one’s potential mating success. As hypothesized, because most individuals (eventually) seek long-term relationships, self-perceived long-term mate value predicted life satisfaction for men and women regardless of relationship status. In contrast, and also as hypothesized, self-perceived short-term mate value predicted life satisfaction only for individuals with short-term mating goals—single uncommitted men (Studies 1, 2A, and 2B), individuals dispositionally motivated toward short-term relationships (Studies 2A and 2B), and single uncommitted women for whom short-term mating motivation was experimentally engaged, enabling causal inference (Study 3). Results support a functional conceptualization of life satisfaction, showing that currently active mating goals can shape the extent to which goal-specific self-perceived mate value predicts life satisfaction.

scholarly journals The dark triad: Facilitating a short‐term mating strategy in men

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter K. Jonason ◽  
Norman P. Li ◽  
Gregory D. Webster ◽  
David P. Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Adaptive Strategy ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Dark Triad ◽  
Evolutionary Approach ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Personality Psychology

This survey (N = 224) found that characteristics collectively known as the Dark Triad (i.e. narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism) were correlated with various dimensions of short‐term mating but not long‐term mating. The link between the Dark Triad and short‐term mating was stronger for men than for women. The Dark Triad partially mediated the sex difference in short‐term mating behaviour. Findings are consistent with a view that the Dark Triad facilitates an exploitative, short‐term mating strategy in men. Possible implications, including that Dark Triad traits represent a bundle of individual differences that promote a reproductively adaptive strategy are discussed. Findings are discussed in the broad context of how an evolutionary approach to personality psychology can enhance our understanding of individual differences. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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