Evolutionary Psychology: An Analysis of the Multifaceted Factors Influencing Women's Mating Preferences

Qi Cao; Hongmi Jiang; Han Han; Kaili Jin

doi:10.54254/2753-7064/2024.21754

Research Article

Evolutionary Psychology: An Analysis of the Multifaceted Factors Influencing Women's Mating Preferences

Qi Cao^{Dana Hall School}* Hongmi Jiang^{Shanghai Pinghe School} Han Han^{High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University} Kaili Jin^{UWC Atlantic College}

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Mate choice is pivotal in shaping the quality of marriages and family structures. This paper explores the psychology behind women's selection of spouses in the context of evolving societal norms and gender roles, particularly within the dynamic landscape of contemporary China. Drawing upon evolutionary psychology, sociology, and social learning theories, it investigates the multifaceted factors influencing women's mating preferences, including biological characteristics, socioeconomic status, and personality traits. Additionally, the paper examines the role of familial influence, societal expectations, and gender roles in shaping mate selection criteria. Through a comprehensive literature review and theoretical analysis, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between individual psychology, social dynamics, and cultural contexts in the process of mate selection.

Keywords: Mate choice; Women's mating preferences; Evolutionary psychology; Socioeconomic status; Psychological mechanisms

Published: April 7, 2025

DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2024.21754

Volume: CHR Vol.59

pp. 11-19

Download PDF

References

DARWIN, C. (2019). Origin of species. BIG CHEESE Books.
Edwards J. (1969). Familial behaviors as social exchange. J. Marriage Fam. 31, 518–526. 10.2307/349775
Eshleman, A. (2004). Responsibility for character. Philosophical Topics, 32(1/2), 65-94.
Hayes A. F. AGE preference for same-sex and opposite-sex partners[J. Journal of social psychology.1995.135:125-133.]
Trivers, Robert L. "Parental investment and sexual selection." Sexual selection and the descent of man. Routledge, 2017. 136-179.
Buss, D. M. (1998). Sexual strategies theory: Historical origins and current status. Journal of Sex Research, 35(1), 19-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499809551914
Tian Qian. (2012). Research on Chinese women's mating tendency [D] (Doctoral dissertation, Fudan University).
Gangestad, Steven W. “Sexual selection, good genes, and human mating.” Conceptual Challenges in Evolutionary Psychology, 2001, pp. 143–178, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0618-7_6.
Buss, D. M. (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 12(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x00023992
Brase, Gary L. "Cues of parental investment as a factor in attractiveness." Evolution and Human Behavior 27.2 (2006): 145-157
Buss, D. M., & Schmitt, D. P. (1993). Sexual strategies theory: An evolutionary perspective on human mating. Psychological Review, 100, 204-232.
Buss, David M., and Todd K. Shackelford. “Attractive women want it all: Good genes, economic investment, parenting proclivities, and emotional commitment.” Evolutionary Psychology, vol. 6, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2008, p. 147470490800600, https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490800600116.
La Cerra, Peggy, and Robert Kurzban. "The structure of scientific revolutions and the nature of the adapted mind." Psychological Inquiry 6.1 (1995): 62-65.
TRIVERS, ROBERT L. “Parent-offspring conflict.” American Zoologist, vol. 14, no. 1, Feb. 1974, pp. 249–264, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/14.1.249.
Apostolou, Menelaos. “Parent-offspring conflict over mating: The case of family background.” Evolutionary Psychology, vol. 6, no. 3, 1 July 2008, p. 147470490800600, https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490800600310.
Bereczkei, T, et al. “Homogamy, genetic similarity, and imprinting; parental influence on mate choice preferences.” Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 33, no. 5, Oct. 2002, pp. 677–690, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0191-8869(01)00182-9.
Cameron, Samuel, and Alan Collins. “Estimates of a hedonic ageing equation for partner search.” Kyklos, vol. 50, no. 3, Aug. 1997, pp. 409–418, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6435.00023.
Regan, Pamela C. “What if you can’t get what you want? willingness to compromise ideal mate selection standards as a function of sex, mate value, and relationship context.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 24, no. 12, Dec. 1998, pp. 1294–1303, https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672982412004.
Foo, Y. Z., Simmons, L. W., & Rhodes, G. (2017). The relationship between health and mating success in humans. Royal Society Open Science, 4(1), 160603. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160603
Levesque, Gabrielle. “Care, Gender Inequality and Resistance : A Foucauldian Reading of Carol Gilligan’s Ethic of Care.” T. University of British Columbia, 2013. Web. 1 July 2024. <https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0074112>. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) 2008+.
Croft, A., Schmader, T., Beall, A., & Schaller, M. (2019). Breadwinner Seeks Bottle Warmer: How Women’s Future Aspirations and Expectations Predict Their Current Mate Preferences. Sex Roles, 82(11-12). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01080-6
Eagly, A. H., Eastwick, P. W., & Johannesen-Schmidt, M. (2009). Possible Selves in Marital Roles: The Impact of the Anticipated Division of Labor on the Mate Preferences of Women and Men. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(4), 403–414. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208329696
Coleman, James S. “Social Capital in the creation of human capital.” American Journal of Sociology, vol. 94, Jan. 1988, https://doi.org/10.1086/228943.
Entwisle, Doris R., and Nan Marie Astone. “Some practical guidelines for measuring youth’s race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status.” Child Development, vol. 65, no. 6, Dec. 1994, p. 1521, https://doi.org/10.2307/1131278.
Guo, Guang, and Kathleen Mullan Harris. “The mechanisms mediating the effects of poverty on children’s intellectual development.” Demography, vol. 37, no. 4, 1 Nov. 2000, pp. 431–447, https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2000.0005.
Bradley, Robert H., and Robert F. Corwyn. “Socioeconomic status and child development.” Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 53, no. 1, Feb. 2002, pp. 371–399, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135233.
March, Evita, and Rachel Grieve. “Social‐Economic theory and short‐term mate preferences: The effects of gender roles and socioeconomic status.” Australian Journal of Psychology, vol. 68, no. 4, 1 Dec. 2016, pp. 241–250, https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12102.