Hungry people prefer more mature mates: A field test of the environmental security hypothesis.

Abstract

The current studies tested the prediction that the visceral experience of hunger would lead men and women to show sex specific preferences for mature partners because of the perceived value of mature characteristics under conditions of resource scarcity. Across two studies, unique samples of college students ( N=328) were asked their preferences about ideal mates before or after eating dinner at a dining hall. Consistent with predictions, hungry males preferred females with more physically mature features, specifically females who were relatively heavier, taller, and older. Female participants who were hungry showed a marginally elevated preference for partners with a more mature personality profile. Hunger salience, manipulated by varying when hunger was assessed, had little effect on the overall pattern of results. Collectively, these studies indicate that visceral states can influence perceptions of environmental security, resulting in a preference shift for partners with characteristics that imply elevated maturity.