New research provides evidence that our choices in mates are deeply rooted in evolutionary principles. The study found that men tend to prioritize physical attractiveness and health in their partners, indicators of fertility, while women value traits like intelligence, emotional stability, and earning potential, which signal the ability to provide material support. However, these preferences are also shaped by factors such as education, religious beliefs, political views, and personality traits.
The findings appear in the journal Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.
Previous research has extensively documented the differences in what men and women look for in a mate, largely attributing these differences to sexual selection theory. According to this theory, men and women have evolved to prioritize different traits in their partners based on the different roles they play in reproduction and the strategies that would have maximized their reproductive success over evolutionary time.
For men, reproductive success often depended on finding a partner who could successfully bear and raise healthy offspring. Because of this, men have evolved to be particularly attuned to signs of fertility in potential mates. On the other hand, women have faced different challenges in ensuring their reproductive success. Pregnancy and child-rearing require substantial resources and protection, so women have evolved to seek partners who can provide these resources, which would increase the chances that her children would survive and thrive.
Sexual selection theory “is at the heart of evolutionary psychology,” explained study author Adrian Furnham, a professor of psychology at the Norwegian Business School. “I know from public speaking how interested people are in such issues as the psychology of attractiveness, mate choices, and relationships. Finding an ‘ideal mate’ has very important long-term consequences.”
However, much of the existing literature has focused on younger populations (e.g., college students), often overlooking older adults whose mate preferences may evolve with age and experience. Moreover, while the influence of demographic factors like age, sex, and education on mate preferences has been well-documented, there has been less exploration of how personality traits influence these preferences.
The new study involved 288 adult participants, consisting of 145 women and 143 men, ranging in age from 19 to 69 years, with an average age of 46. The participants were primarily from Western countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa, with a smaller proportion from other regions like India and Germany. All participants were fluent in English.
The researchers employed a survey method, where participants were asked to rate 21 different qualities in a potential long-term romantic partner on a scale from 0 (not at all desirable) to 10 (extremely desirable). These qualities included factors related to physical attractiveness, personality, socioeconomic status, and values.
The participants also completed a personality assessment using the High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI), which measures traits like conscientiousness, emotional stability, curiosity, risk tolerance, and competitiveness. Additionally, participants provided information about their religious beliefs, political views, and optimism.
The study’s findings largely confirmed what evolutionary psychology has long suggested: men and women have different priorities when it comes to selecting a mate. Men rated physical attractiveness, health, and sexual desirability significantly higher than women did. These traits are often associated with fertility and reproductive value, which aligns with the idea that men are evolutionarily driven to seek out cues of fertility in their partners.
On the other hand, women placed a higher value on traits like intelligence, emotional stability, conscientiousness, and earning potential—qualities that suggest a partner’s ability to provide and care for a family. Interestingly, while traditional theories suggest that women should also place a high value on a partner’s wealth, the study found no significant sex difference in the importance of wealth, which may reflect changing social norms and economic realities.
“We replicated the well-established findings about sex differences but looked in addition at personality and other individual differences as they relate to mate choice,” Furnham said.
Beyond these sex differences, the study also highlighted the importance of personality traits in shaping mate preferences. The researchers found evidence supporting the idea of positive assortative mating, where individuals prefer partners who share similar characteristics.
For example, participants who scored high on conscientiousness were more likely to value the same trait in a partner. Similarly, those who were curious and open-minded tended to seek partners who were also imaginative and curious. This suggests that people are not just looking for partners who complement their weaknesses but are also drawn to those who share similar strengths and qualities.
However, not all personality traits had a strong influence on mate preferences. For instance, there was no significant correlation between a participant’s emotional stability and their preference for emotional stability in a partner. This could indicate that while some personality traits are important in choosing a mate, others might be less critical, or that other factors such as life experience or past relationships might shape these preferences in ways that were not captured in the study.
The study also shed light on how ideological factors like religion and political beliefs influence mate selection. More religious participants placed a higher emphasis on finding a partner who shared their religious beliefs, which suggests that ideological compatibility plays a crucial role in relationship success. Similarly, participants with strong political views were more likely to consider a partner’s political alignment as important. This finding highlights that, in addition to biological and personality factors, shared values and beliefs are vital in forming long-lasting relationships.
Furnham noted that the key traits related to mate desirability could be grouped into five broad categories: social background, physical fitness, mental fitness, ideology, and sociability.
However, while this study provides valuable insights into mate preferences, it is not without limitations. One significant limitation is the sample, which was primarily composed of middle-aged adults from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic countries. This raises questions about the generalizability of the findings to other cultural contexts.
Additionally, the study did not explore how individuals might prioritize or trade off different mate qualities. For example, would someone willing to trade off physical attractiveness for higher intelligence or shared religious beliefs? Understanding these trade-offs could provide deeper insights into the decision-making processes involved in mate selection.
Regarding future research, Furnham explained hopes to to further investigate the “personality correlates of all sorts of behaviors from mate choice, happiness, to work success. Personality traits have long-term and profound consequences.”
“I love doing research and have long been fascinated by the claims of evolutionary psychology,” he added.
The study, “Sex, Personality, and Mate Preferences,” was authored by Adrian Furnham and Stephen Cuppello.