Evolutionary explanations for partner preferences
- Created by: neuronalnerd
- Created on: 01-09-20 15:58
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- Evolutionary explanations for partner preferences
- sexual selection = evolution driven by mate competition
- anisogamy = difference in gametes between genders
- both genders look for: attractiveness
- Males look for: high waist to hip ratio, youthfulness
- Females look for: resources, masculine features
- Short-term mating behaviour
- Males: mate as much as possible
- Buss & Schmitt: marked decrease in attraction following copulation
- Females: select one high quality partner
- Males: mate as much as possible
- Long-term mating behaviour
- Genetic quality of mate influences 50% of offspring genes
- Low quality mate = low quality offspring, genes won't continue (**** sons hypothesis)
- Key Study: Buss
- Long-term mating preferences in 10,000, 37 cultures. Rate importance of characteristics
- Results
- Resources = highly valued by women
- Intelligence = valued by both genders, indicates parenting skill
- Attractiveness & Youth = valued by men, indicated fertility & health
- Evaluation
- Clarke & Hatfield: attractive ppl approached strangers at uni and proposed sex
- Results: No females, 75% males accepted
- Culture suggests it's socially unacceptable for females to engage in casual sex
- Wayneforth & Dunbar studied lonely hearts ads
- Women tended to offer physical attractiveness and indicators of youth
- Men offered resources, and sought physical attractiveness and youth
- Culture not evolution?
- Women denied economic & political power, account for reliance on men for resources?
- Kasser & Sharma: women value resources more in cultures where status and education = limited
- Outdated theory
- Original Clarke & Hatfield study in 1989
- Women may be more likely to accept nowadays due to wider use of contraception & changing societal views
- Original Clarke & Hatfield study in 1989
- Weaknesses in method = low ecological validity
- Buss focused on preference, but people may compromise when looking for IRL partner
- Buss studied IRL marriages which confirmed theory: men choose younger women and remarry younger after divorce
- Buss focused on preference, but people may compromise when looking for IRL partner
- Clarke & Hatfield: attractive ppl approached strangers at uni and proposed sex
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