Components of self-perceived mate value.

Abstract

Self-perceived mate value is an important concept for evolutionary psychology, and yet there has been little investigation into how it should be measured. Past research has relied upon simple measures, such as self-perceived physical attractiveness, or on instruments where people rate the existence of certain traits. Using a sample of 150 individuals, we show that there are at least seven distinct components of self-perceived mate value. We compare these components with self-ratings of physical attractiveness, current income, as well as one existing measure, the Mate Value Inventory (Kirsner et al., 2003). Only some of these components correlate with these variables, and to varying extents for women and men, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive and sex-specific measure of selfperceived mate value. We discuss the context-dependent nature of mate value, and point to the need for future research to provide confirmatory support for our factors. This research represents an important first step into the accurate assessment of mate value.