Show versus tell? The effects of mating context on women’s memory for a man’s physical features and verbal statements

Abstract

Does women’s memory for a man’s features and verbal statements vary as a function of whether they are thinking about him as a short- versus long-term mate? Evolutionary psychology suggests that a man’s physical attributes might matter more to women seeking a short- versus a long-term mate. In a laboratory experiment, female undergraduates watched a videotaped male introducing himself after they had been encouraged to think of him as either a short- or long-term mate. Women’s memory for his features and verbal statements was then tested. Compared to women in the long-term context, women in the short-term context demonstrated better memory for his features and worse memory for his verbal statements. The implications of these findings for adaptive memory are discussed.