Do Men and Women Exhibit Different Preferences for Mates? A Replication of Eastwick and Finkel (2008)

Dylan F Selterman,Elizabeth Chagnon,Sean P Mackinnon

doi:10.1177/2158244015605160

Dylan F Selterman, Elizabeth Chagnon + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015605160

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Abstract

Evolutionary theory predicts that men will prefer physically attractive romantic partners, and women will prefer wealthy, high-status partners. This theory is well-supported when examining ideal hypothetical partner preferences, but less support has been found when people interact face-to-face. The present study served as a direct replication of results reported in Eastwick and Finkel (2008). We recruited 307 participants and utilized a speed-dating methodology to allow in-person interactions, then administered follow-up surveys to measure romantic interest over 30 days. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling and were aggregated using meta-analysis. Consistent with previous findings, our results showed that participants were more romantically interested in potential partners if they were viewed as attractive and good potential earners, and these associations were not moderated by gender. Results suggest that gender differences predicted by evolutionary theory may not hold when people interact with potential romantic partners face-to-face. However, we discuss these results in light of some general methodological limitations and evidence from other lines of research.

Highlights

Traditional evolutionary psychological theory, and Sexual Strategies Theory (SST; Buss & Schmitt, 1993), stipulates that men and women face different challenges to reproductive success and would prioritize qualities differently in romantic mates
A trend in our data suggests the opposite of what SST (Buss & Schmitt, 1993) and other studies (e.g., Fisman et al, 2006) would propose; the association between earning prospects and romantic interest was larger for men than for women
The association between physical attractiveness and romantic interest was larger for men than for women, which is consistent with SST

Summary

Introduction

Traditional evolutionary psychological theory, and Sexual Strategies Theory (SST; Buss & Schmitt, 1993), stipulates that men and women face different challenges to reproductive success (e.g., paternity uncertainty) and would prioritize qualities differently in romantic mates. Women (more so than men) are thought to favor partners with higher levels of social status and economic/material resources, because a stronger commitment of resources from a male partner will increase the odds that her children will survive to adulthood. These hypotheses rely greatly on Trivers’s (1972) parental investment theory, which proposes that women are more selective in their mates because the amount of investment they must put into caring for offspring has been much greater throughout our evolutionary history. Based on the studies to date utilizing live-attraction methods, the findings are mixed with metaanalytic evidence leaning toward no gender differences in short-term, face-to-face dating contexts

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