Human Mate Preferences
Sex differences in parental investment and sexual selection investigation.
Abstract. The study explored how differences in gender affect the partner preferences. Results were obtained through a questionnaire of school-aged individuals. The researchers expected that the results to show a difference in preferences of the characteristics of a partner depending on gender which is linked to the ideas of sex differences in parental investment and sexual selection. The results were consistent with the hypothesis, demonstrating evident difference in partner choice between males’ and females’.
Introduction. Sex differences in parental investment and sexual selection are the evolutionary theory processes which suggest that our choice of partners is determined by the extent to which they possess certain features which help us to reproduce and prevent our species from extinction. Sexual selection states that some mates possess certain features that are attractive to the opposite sex, therefore allowing them to get an easier access to mates and pass our genes on to the next generation, such as youth and health in women, which will ensure their fertility, and resoursefulness in men, which means they will be able to provide for the offspring. Sex differences in parental investment suggest that different sexes invest different amounts of resources (time, energy etc.) into their offspring for it to survive, such as females investing far greater into their offspring compared to males due to a complex process of childbearing and childbirth for females. This leads to women looking for partners with resources, while men’s main concern is women’s youth (linked with the ability to reproduce) and the fact that the child’s they would be taking care of (investing their resources) is theirs.
The sex differences in human mate preferences were studied by Buss (1989), who developed a questionnaire which consisted of the two sections. First section included biographical data (age,
Abstract. The study explored how differences in gender affect the partner preferences. Results were obtained through a questionnaire of school-aged individuals. The researchers expected that the results to show a difference in preferences of the characteristics of a partner depending on gender which is linked to the ideas of sex differences in parental investment and sexual selection. The results were consistent with the hypothesis, demonstrating evident difference in partner choice between males’ and females’.
Introduction. Sex differences in parental investment and sexual selection are the evolutionary theory processes which suggest that our choice of partners is determined by the extent to which they possess certain features which help us to reproduce and prevent our species from extinction. Sexual selection states that some mates possess certain features that are attractive to the opposite sex, therefore allowing them to get an easier access to mates and pass our genes on to the next generation, such as youth and health in women, which will ensure their fertility, and resoursefulness in men, which means they will be able to provide for the offspring. Sex differences in parental investment suggest that different sexes invest different amounts of resources (time, energy etc.) into their offspring for it to survive, such as females investing far greater into their offspring compared to males due to a complex process of childbearing and childbirth for females. This leads to women looking for partners with resources, while men’s main concern is women’s youth (linked with the ability to reproduce) and the fact that the child’s they would be taking care of (investing their resources) is theirs.
The sex differences in human mate preferences were studied by Buss (1989), who developed a questionnaire which consisted of the two sections. First section included biographical data (age,
References: David M. Buss. Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 countries (1989). Akinrilola Bankole The Role of Mass Media in Family Planning.