Publication Type
Encyclopaedia
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
1-2010
Abstract
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife"—so wrote Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice. From classic literature to contemporary screenplays, from the latest celebrity news to office gossip, it is nearly impossible to escape the pervasive topic of romantic relationships. Indeed, the pursuit of mates consumes a significant portion of our time and energy, and for good reason—mates give us companionship, pleasure, comfort, security, and even health benefits. As we discuss in this article, there are two major theoretical perspectives for understanding mate selection. Although these perspectives have different explanations for people's mate choices, both agree that who one selects as a mate depends largely on the type of relationship one seeks and the characteristics one desires.
Keywords
Mate selection, Psychology, Human mate selection
Discipline
Applied Behavior Analysis | Personality and Social Contexts | Social Psychology and Interaction
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology
Editor
I. R. Weiner, & W. E. Craighead
ISBN
9780470479216
Identifier
10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy053
Edition
4th ed
Publisher
Wiley
City or Country
Hoboken, NJ
Citation
Cason, Margaret J. and Norman Li. 2010. "Mate Selection." In Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology, 4th ed., edited by Irving B. Weiner and W. Edward Craighead. Hoboken: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy053
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
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/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0531
Included in
Applied Behavior Analysis Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons
Comments
4th ed.