The present study was conducted to examine reasons one individual selects another for marriage. Strong findings in past research on preferences in selection of mates by humans indicate that the earning capacity of a potential mate in relation to occupation is more important to women than to men and that men place more value on youth in a potential mate than do women. Also, individuals in similar occupations tend to marry within the same socioeconomic class. These gender differences for 300 married couples living in the Kansas City area were investigated in the present study. Explanations for these differences in preferences were provided from evolutionary and sociocultural perspectives.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BoligR. (1984) The self-advertisement approach to dating: male-female differences. Family Relations, 33, 587–592.
2.
BussD. M. (1985) Human mate selection. American Science, 73, 47–51.
3.
BussD. M. (1989) Sex differences in human mate preferences: evolutionary hypothesis tested in 37 cultures. Sex Roles, 18, 367–380.
4.
BussD. M.BarnesM. (1986) Preferences in human mate selection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 559–570.
5.
CoombsR. H.KenkelW. F. (1966) Sex differences in dating aspirations and satisfaction with computer selected partners. Journal of Marriage, 28, 62–66.
6.
CunninghamM. R. (1986) Measuring the physical in physical attractiveness: quasi-experiments in the sociobiology of female facial beauty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 925–935.
7.
ElderG. H. (1969) Appearance and education in marriage mobility. American Sociological Review, 34519–532.
8.
FeingoldA. (1990) Gender differences in effects of physical attractiveness on romantic attraction: a comparison across five research paradigms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 981–993.
9.
FordC. S.BeachF. A. (1951) Patterns of sexual behavior. New York: Harper.
10.
HollingsheadA. B.RedlichF. C. (1958) Social class and mental illness. New York: Wiley.
11.
HowardJ. A.BlumsteinP.SchwartzP. (1987) Social or evolutionary theories? Some observations on preferences in human mate selection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 194–200.
12.
KenrickD. T.TroostM. R. (1987) A biosocial theory of heterosexual relationships. In KellyK. (Ed.), Females, males, and sexuality: theory and research. Albany, NY: State Univer. of New York Press. Pp. 123–141.
13.
MariniM. (1978) The transition to adulthood: sex differences in educational attainment and age at marriage. American Sociological Review, 43, 483–507.
14.
PattersonC. E.PettijohnT. F. (1982) Age and human mate selection. Psychological Reports, 51, 70.
15.
TownsendJ. M.LevyG. D. (1990) Effects of potential partners' physical attractiveness and socioeconomic status on sexuality and partner selection. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 19, 149–164.
16.
UdryJ. R.EcklandB. K. (1984) Benefits of being attractive: differential payoffs for men and women. Psychological Reports, 54, 47–56.
17.
WillisF. N.CarlsonR. A. (1993) Singles ads: gender, social class, and time. Sex Roles, 29, 389–406.
