Abstract
Money is an important factor that influences the development of romantic relationships. The current paper examines how the feeling of having relatively more or less money influences human mating strategies in long-term and short-term mating contexts under the framework of evolutionary psychology. We recruited mainland Chinese college students involved in steady, heterosexual romantic relationships to participate in two experiments. In each study, we experimentally triggered participants' feelings of having relatively more or less money and then examined their thoughts and behaviors related to mating. Results of Study 1 showed that men who were primed to feel that they had relatively more money were less satisfied with their partners' physical attractiveness than those primed to feel that they had less money, suggesting that the subjective feeling of having more or less money may affect men's preferences regarding the physical appearance of a mate in a long-term relationship. Interestingly, this difference was not significant for women. Results of Study 2 indicated that both men and women who were primed to feel that they had relatively more money exhibited a greater “behavioral approach tendency” toward an attractive member of the opposite sex than those primed to feel that they had less money. This finding suggests that people who feel they have relatively more money may have more interest in an attractive alternative than those who feel they have relatively less money. The differences in mating strategies between and within the genders brought about by money support the evolutionary hypothesis that individuals adopt conditional mating strategies in response to environmental conditions. Additionally, the results of experimental studies provide evidence for the causal effects of money on mating strategies. These findings have both conceptual and practical implications for the psychology of evolution and romantic relationships.
Highlights
Money is often involved in love stories
The first set of results is on the manipulation check, which examines whether the money priming method is effective
Our results showed that the feeling of having relatively more money caused the men, but not the women, to feel less satisfied with their partners’ physical appearance and led both the men and women to approach an attractive member of the opposite sex more closely than if they felt they had relatively less money
Summary
Money is often involved in love stories. There are complex outcomes derived from the meeting of money and romantic love, and it is often difficult to conclude that money is either a promoter or an inhibitor of love. The mixed findings from these studies (e.g., Conger et al, 1990; Rogers, 2004; Teachman, 2010) are not able to adequately explain whether and how money influences the development of romantic relationships. Some researchers have examined the influences of money on human relationships in laboratory experiments (e.g., Vohs et al, 2006; Mogilner, 2010). Researchers have found that money tends to separate people from others and weaken social bonds due to the self-sufficient mental state it creates (Vohs et al, 2006; Mogilner, 2010). One way to find the answer is to look back to our ancestral past and explore the roles of resources in our ancestors’ mating process
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
