Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
6-2002
Abstract
Social exchange and evolutionary models of mate selection incorporate economic assumptions but have not considered a key distinction between necessities and luxuries. This distinction can clarify an apparent paradox: Status and attractiveness, though emphasized by many researchers, are not typically rated highly by research participants. Three studies supported the hypothesis that women and men first ensure sufficient levels of necessities in potential mates before considering many other characteristics rated as more important in prior surveys. In Studies 1 and 2, participants designed ideal long-term mates, purchasing various characteristics with 3 different budgets. Study 3 used a mate-screening paradigm and showed that people inquire 1st about hypothesized necessities. Physical attractiveness was a necessity to men, status and resources were necessities to women, and kindness and intelligence were necessities to both.
Keywords
mate preferences, mate selection, differential priorities, necessities vs luxuries, gender differences
Discipline
Personality and Social Contexts | Social Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Volume
82
Issue
6
First Page
947
Last Page
955
ISSN
0022-3514
Identifier
10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.947
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Citation
LI, Norman P., BAILEY, J. Michael, KENRICK, Douglas T., & LINSENMEIER, Joan A. W..(2002). The necessities and luxuries of mate preferences: Testing the tradeoffs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6), 947-955.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/718
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.6.947