Adult Attachment and Long-term Mate Preferences in Iran

Interrelated psychological predictors of mate preferences among Iranian male and female emerging adults

“…One might expect these insecure styles to associate with a preference for kindness/dependability given that those with such styles view others as unreliable and inconsistent (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2005; Pietromonaco & Barrett, 1997). Indeed, recent research in Iran (Afhami & Rafiee, 2020) found that men with anxious attachments preferred kindness/dependability (along with status/resources, and religiosity/chastity), but that study did not account for perceptions of attraction and for personality traits (and sample differences could also contribute to divergent findings). Perhaps insecure attachments, especially avoidant attachment, leads to skepticism in a potential mate's ability to be dependable, so other attributes more associated with higher status in a given culture become especially salient.…”

“…Researchers have also found in a US sample that anxiously attached women were especially attracted to men of higher status and greater insecurity (Brumbaugh et al, 2014). Results from two studies in Iran indicated that a secure attachment style negatively associated with preferring mates with good cooking and housekeeping skills; women with an anxious attachment style tended to prefer education/intelligence and religiosity/chastity; men with an anxious attachment style tended to prefer status/resources, kindness/dependability, and religiosity/chastity (Afhami & Rafiee, 2020; Razeghi et al, 2015). Taken together, the literature suggests that self‐perceived attractiveness, personality traits, and attachment styles are psychologically oriented factors likely associated with mate preferences.…”

What potential traits do adolescents and early adults look for in mate preferences?

“…Since micro religious values restrict sexual activities by mechanisms of social learning, social regulation, and restricted opportunities ( Adamczyk and Hayes, 2012 ), it enhances the value of a similar religious background. Another reason could be the rising rate of divorce in recent times, making people anxious ( Afroz, 2019 ; Ashrafujjaman Tutul et al., 2021 ), and an anxious person commonly seeks a religious mate who could reduce uncertainty in relationships ( Afhami and Rafiee, 2020 ). Besides, it is not that non-Muslim samples frequently disregard their religious background when expressing their mate preferences; Catholics and conservative protestants, particularly women, frequently expressed a stronger preference for religious homogamy ( Logan et al., 2008 ).…”

“…They also face a new level of cognitive difficulties, such as discovering dialectical (opposing) forces in which many components of their social environment might exhibit contradictory characteristics ( Riegel, 1975 ; Rymanova et al., 2021 ). Being emotionally attached to or having physical proximity to caregivers ensures sufficient protection from environmental incidents ( Afhami and Rafiee, 2020 ). Particularly, women prefer males interested in long-term partnerships in secure situations; conversely, women are more likely to be romantically involved when living in conditions marked by a lack of jobs, a lack of medical care, or inadequate educational opportunities ( Burtăverde and Ene, 2021 ).…”