Mate choice, mate preference, and biological markets: the relationship between partner choice and health preference is modulated by women's own attractiveness

Abstract

Although much of the research on human mate preference assumes that mate preference and partner choice will be related to some extent, evidence for correlations between mate preference and mate choice is mixed. Inspired by biological market theories of mate choice, which propose that individuals with greater market value will be better placed to translate their preference into choice, we investigated whether participants' own attractiveness modulated the relationship between their preference and choice. Multilevel modeling showed that experimentally assessed preferences for healthy-looking other-sex faces predicted third-party ratings of partner's facial health better among women whose faces were rated as more attractive by third parties. This pattern of results was not seen for men. These results suggest that the relationship between mate preference and mate choice may be more complex than was assumed in previous research, at least among women. Our results also highlight the utility of biological market theories for understanding the links between mate preference and partner choice.

Own attractiveness and perceived relationship quality shape sensitivity in women’s memory for other men on the attractiveness dimension

“…Our findings are consistent with our prediction that the high 'market demand' of attractive women (Noë & Hammerstein, 1994; see also Wincenciak et al, 2015), which in turn would reduce the costs of mating competition (Vaillancourt, 2013), shapes sensitivity in their memory for attractive shape cues in men's faces. If learning incurs fitness costs (reviewed in Dukas, 2008), cognitive resources for tasks such as mating competition should be allocated judiciously.…”

“…If learning incurs fitness costs (reviewed in Dukas, 2008), cognitive resources for tasks such as mating competition should be allocated judiciously. That women's memory for attractive male shape cues was predicted by their own attractiveness is consistent with recent evidence which suggests that high-quality women may be better placed to translate their mate preferences into actual choices (Wincenciak et al, 2015) and suggests that memory for potential extra-pair (or alternate) partners is allocated judiciously among women according to their own attractiveness. Indeed, our findings are also consistent with prior work demonstrating that measures of women's own attractiveness are correlated with their reported number of extra-pair partners and long-term number of sexual partners (Hughes et al, 2003;Rhodes et al, 2005), suggesting a potential cognitive mechanism for these behaviours in women.…”

“…Secondly, as extra-pair partnerships (Vaillancourt, 2013) and relationship dissolution (Perilloux & Buss, 2008) are costly acts, partnered women's memory for other men may be specialized in light of their ability to compete for alternate mates, such as factors that predict their demand on the 'mating market' (e.g., their own attractiveness). Consistent with biological markets theory, where individuals of higher 'market value' are betterplaced to translate their preferences into choices (Noë & Hammerstein, 1994), recent research suggests that partnered women's own attractiveness predicts the association between their preferences and actual choices for facial cues to male quality (Wincenciak et al, 2015). This relationship would be predicted to extend to women's stored knowledge, and potential choices of extra-pair partners, since putative cues to quality in women are positively correlated with their reported number of extra-pair partners and sexual partners more generally (Hughes et al, 2004;Rhodes et al, 2005).…”

Exploratory Analysis of the Links among Life History, Reproductive Strategy, Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and Quality of Life

“…This is of great consequence to adaptation, as a general sense of satisfaction with life is also linked to overall somatic and psychic condition, which, in turn, determines the presence or absence of health indicators which are commonly perceived as physical attractiveness. Such health indicators form an important criterion for the choice of partner (Wincenciak et al, 2015).…”

You're not my type: Do conservatives have a bias for seeing long-term mates?

“…Finally, this study focuses on participants' ideal mate (mate preference), rather than their actual mate (mate choice). Although the two are related, the extent to which preferences translate into choice has been contested (Wincenciak et al, 2015). Future investigations into coupled men and women, and the traits possessed by their partner, could help us to understand the extent to which a long-term mate bias manifests within conservative societies.…”