What predicts romantic relationship satisfaction and mate retention intensity: mate preference fulfillment or mate value discrepancies?

Conroy‐Beam, Daniel; Goetz, Cari D.; Buss, David M.

doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.04.003

Cited by 87 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…they chose partners who are similar to themselves in terms of mate quality. Mate value discrepancies between one and one's partner can predict several relationship outcomes such as forgiveness and relationship satisfaction (Conroy-Beam et al 2016;Sidelinger and Booth-Butterfield 2007). These findings suggest that mate value can influence the formation of romantic relationships, as well as several factors associated with the maintenance of romantic relationships.…”

Section: Mate Value and Mate Retention Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…However, this is not always the case, as we can be in a relationship with a partner who does not possess all the qualities we seek (lower mate value compared to ourselves). However, according to Conroy-Beam et al (2016), the discrepancy between what we want and what we get is not entirely clear, thus increasing the need to explore the role of mate value discrepancy in the functionality of romantic relationships.…”

Section: Mate Value Discrepancymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2016), there is little research exploring the factors which influence relationship outcomes once a romantic relationship has been established. Mate value discrepancy has been found to be a significant predictor of forgiveness and jealousy (see Sidelinger and Booth-Butterfield 2007) and relationship satisfaction (Conroy-Beam et al 2016). Conroy-Beam et al (2016) suggest that mate value discrepancy can help researchers to explore the frequency and intensity of mate retention behaviours.…”

Section: Mate Value Discrepancymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mate Value Discrepancy and Attachment Anxiety Predict the Perpetration of Digital Dating Abuse

Bhogal

Howman

2018

Evolutionary Psychological Science

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Research suggests that individual differences in attachment style predict the perpetration of digital dating abuse. In addition to attachment style, no research, to our knowledge, has explored the role of mate value in the perpetration of digital dating abuse. In this paper, we argue that digital dating abuse is a contemporary cost-inflicting mate retention behaviour, where larger mate value discrepancies between partners are associated with higher levels of digital dating abuse (n = 167). As expected, high mate value discrepancy and attachment anxiety were associated with high levels of digital dating abuse. We provide novel support for the relationship between mate value discrepancy and digital dating abuse. Our findings provide support for additional, unexplored factors which lead to the perpetration of digital dating abuse.

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Section: Mate Value and Mate Retention Behaviourmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Mate Value Discrepancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mate Value Discrepancymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mate Value Discrepancy and Attachment Anxiety Predict the Perpetration of Digital Dating Abuse

Bhogal

Howman

2018

Evolutionary Psychological Science

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“…A lower satisfaction of high-MV women may result from more intensive mate guarding and impression of being trapped in the current relationship (Nowak and Danel 2014). Indeed, a recent study confirmed that MVD may affect mate retention behaviours through the relationship satisfaction (Conroy-Beam et al 2016). Taken together, the previously mentioned studies suggest that also the intensity of more specific negative forms of mate guarding such as controlling behaviours may be related to the difference between qualities of romantic partners.…”

mentioning

confidence: 85%

Female perception of a partner’s mate value discrepancy and controlling behaviour in romantic relationships

et al. 2016

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Mate value discrepancy (MVD) between heterosexual partners is an important factor influencing relationship satisfaction which, in turn, has an effect on the quality and the stability of the relationship. Therefore, partners’ involvement in mate retention behaviours, such as controlling behaviours, can be related to MVD and our study aims to determine whether such an association exists. In order to do so, we analysed female perception of MVD and their opinion regarding the intensity of controlling behaviours performed by themselves as well as their romantic partners. Female perception of the intensity of controlling behaviours performed by both partners was the highest in couples where a woman assesses her own mate value (MV) as higher than her partner’s MV and significantly different than in relationships where male MV exceeded those of the female. Our study also indicates that MVD should be taken into account when analysing sex differences in intensities of mate retention behaviours. Finally, we provide evidence supporting the significance of the relationship length for controlling behaviour intensity. Findings are discussed within an evolutionary perspective.

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“…Conroy-Beam & Buss, 2016a, 2016b, 2017Conroy-Beam, Goetz, & Buss, 2016 individual's ideal mate across all possible traits rather than studying individual traits.…”

Section: The Relationship Between Mating Strategies and Mate Choicementioning

confidence: 99%

Testing Evolutionary Hypotheses Regarding Individual Differences in Human Mating Strategies

Sherlock¹

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Finding and attracting a mate is an enormous component of human life, and indeed the life of all sexually reproducing organisms. In this search, we share many common goals in attaining a partner. For instance, most people typically seek a partner who is kind, attractive, and funny. Yet, we also differ remarkably in the traits that we desire in our partners and what drives us towards choosing some mates over others. This variation represents somewhat of a Darwinian paradox, as selection typically reduces variation in traits under strong selection, such as those relating to mating strategy. To resolve this paradox, evolutionary psychologists have proposed adaptive mechanisms that cause variation in mating strategy in response to environmental contingencies. In this thesis, I present tests of a number of these hypotheses, and integrate approaches from evolutionary behavioural genetics to provide alternative explanations as to how variation in mating strategy arises.Firstly, I review broad evolutionary approaches to explaining variation in psychological traits. Specifically, I introduce evolutionary literature regarding a proposed trade-off between parenting traits and signals of genetic quality in males that permeates approaches to various aspects of mate choice. Evidence for and against this trade-off is reviewed in the context of the maintenance of variation in facial masculinity in males and inter-partner variation in female orgasm frequency during penetrative sex. I then introduce behavioural genetics as an approach to understanding both genetic and environmental causes of variation in human mating strategy.In my first empirical study, I present a paper testing evolutionary hypotheses regarding female variation in orgasm frequency in response to male characteristics. Where previous research has focused on women reporting on a single partner and observing male characteristics across the sample, this paper had females report on partners with whom orgasm was easy and with whom orgasm was difficult. This controls for the possibility of confounds relating to between-subject studies and increases our power to detect male traits associated with orgasm over and above between women differences. Furthermore, the study also included measures of male sexual behaviour, as these are highly likely to be related to female orgasmability. We showed mixed support for evolutionary theories regarding variation in the female orgasm, but were unable to distinguish the two leading hypotheses. Additionally, we found important contributions of male sexual behaviour to female orgasm. Consequently, little can be inferred about the role of variation in the evolution of the female orgasm. However, we demonstrate that within-subjects designs are able to detect between-partner variance with high resolution. We also demonstrate that future studies need account for male sexual behaviour when attempting to explain adaptive variation in female orgasm between different male partners.ii I then present a paper providing evidence that facial ...

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What predicts romantic relationship satisfaction and mate retention intensity: mate preference fulfillment or mate value discrepancies?

Cited by 87 publications

References 21 publications

Mate Value Discrepancy and Attachment Anxiety Predict the Perpetration of Digital Dating Abuse

Mate Value Discrepancy and Attachment Anxiety Predict the Perpetration of Digital Dating Abuse

Female perception of a partner’s mate value discrepancy and controlling behaviour in romantic relationships

Testing Evolutionary Hypotheses Regarding Individual Differences in Human Mating Strategies

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