Sex differences and mate preferences: Contributions and interactions of gender roles and socio-economic status

Evita March, Rachel Grieve
2014 Sensoria A Journal of Mind Brain and Culture  
Research has extensively considered the sex differences that arise in mate preferences; specifically, men desire the physical attractiveness of a mate more than women do, and women desire the status and resources of a mate more than men do. To date, these sex differences in mate preferences have been explained by appealing to evolutionary and social-economic theory origin theories. The aim of the current study was to examine sex differences in mate preferences in long term relationships by
more » ... ring independent factors of social-economic theory. Specifically, the current study sought to examine, for the first time, the combined effect of gender roles and individual socio-economic status on the characteristics men and women consider a necessity in a long term mate by employing a refined mate budget methodology. Participants (N = 854) were recruited from an Australian university campus and the wider community and completed an online study that measured their gender role and factors of SES, and required the design of a hypothetical long term mate. Results indicated interactions of SES and gender roles on characteristics women considered a necessity in a long term mate. Results of this study suggest that women's mate preferences for a long term mate may have more interactive social influences than previously thought, and directions for future research to further explore these social elements are presented.
doi:10.7790/sa.v10i2.410 fatcat:bpv5kavfjjerfdjj2ffclrkllq