Relationship maintenance or preference satisfaction? Male and female strategies in romantic partner choice.

Abstract

There is no consensus whether ideal mate preferences are actually expressed in real choices or whether people choose partners according to traditional sex preferences or seek those similar to them. In order to address these questions, 267 Brazilian university students (120 involved and 147 not involved in a romantic relationship) participated in this study, describing themselves and their current or most recent romantic partner. As inclusion criterion, involved subjects must have been in a stable relationship for at least 12 months. Our results suggest that male choice reflects typical preferences based on Parental Investment Theory. On the other hand, the typical female preferences were not observed; instead, their choices indicate a preference for similar partners to themselves. Given that similarities are important to maintaining long-term relationships, females may adapt their preferences in order to ensure male investment in a long-term relationship.

Factors predicting the probability of initiating sexual intercourse by context and sex

“…As women's likelihood to initiate sex in relationships was predicted by partner compatibility and relationship length, the relationship bond seems to be the major factor influencing women's sexual initiative. The impact of compatibility or similarity between women and their partners is in line with other empirical data on partner preferences (e.g., Castro, Hattori & Lopes, ; Dijkstra & Barelds, ; Dijkstra, Barelds, Groothof, Ronner & Nauta, ). As the jealousy literature (e.g., Buss et al ., ; Kennair, Nordeide, Andreassen, Strønen & Pallesen, ) notes, women's adaptive challenge has been to secure commitment and investment; reproductive interest (i.e., initiative to intercourse) should increase in settings where she has a partner that has proven to be committed.…”

“Am I Good Enough for You?” Features Related to Self-Perception and Self-Esteem of Brazilians from Different Socioeconomic Status

“…The criteria for selecting romantic partners have been related to the type of investment that men and women * Corresponding author. make in their offspring, resulting in mate preference differences between the sexes (Buss, 1988;Buss & Schmitt, 1993;Buunk, Dijkstra, Fetchenhauer, & Kenrick, 2002;Castro, Hattori, & Lopes, 2012;Fletcher, Tither, O'Loughlin, Friesen, & Overall, 2004;Gaulin & McBurney, 2001;Li & Kenrick, 2006;Trivers, 1972). Men, for the most part, tend to give greatest importance to physical attractiveness (Buss & Shackelford, 2008;Castro & Lopes, 2011;Fisher, Cox, Bennett, & Gavric, 2008;Hattori, Castro, & Lopes, 2013;Pawlowski, 2000), since this characteristic provides clues about youthfulness and female fertility, which are indicators of good genes and the ability to bear children (Buss & Shackelford, 2008;Castro et al, 2012;Castro & Lopes, 2011;Gaulin & McBurney, 2001;Goodwin, Marshall, Fülöp, Adonu, & Spiewak, 2012;Gutierres, Kenrick, & Partch, 1999;Hattori et al, 2013;Karremans, Frankenhuis, & Arons, 2010;Pawlowski, 2000).…”

Investment in Beauty, Exercise, and Self-esteem: Are They Related to Self-perception as a Romantic Partner?

“…This reproductive potential can be signaled by physical characteristics, such as waist-to-hip ratio and reproductive age (Castro et al 2012;Hattori et al 2013;Karremans et al 2010).…”