Describe the evidence for sex differences in mate preference. Explain how both evolutionary psychology and sociocultural approaches account for these differences.
What will be an ideal response?
Women and men differ in the importance that they place on a partner’s physical attractiveness, domestic (homemaking and childcare) competence, and earning potential (e.g., social status, resources, ambition). Men rate “good looks” and “good cook, housekeeper” as more important in a mate than women do, and women rate “good financial prospects” and “ambition, industriousness” as more important than men do. These sex differences emerge time and time again in self-reports of mate preferences, and they replicate across cultures that otherwise differ a great deal.
Because mating with a low-quality partner carries more risk for women than it does for men, women display a stronger preference for partners who can offer resources and protection. In contrast, men should show a stronger preference for partners who are attractive, because physical attractiveness indicates reproductive and genetic health. Furthermore, men should desire female partners who display childcare and homemaking capacities, as these qualities enhance the survival of offspring. In short, the evolutionary perspective argues that women’s emphasis on earning potential and men’s emphasis on attractiveness and domesticity enhanced our ancestors’ reproductive success.
In contrast, the sociocultural perspective views sex differences in mate preferences as a product of social roles and labor divisions rather than genes. When women primarily perform unpaid domestic labor and have access to fewer economic resources than men, they benefit from selecting partners who can offer financial support. In contrast, when men occupy wage earning roles outside the home, they benefit from selecting female partners who can perform domestic duties. Moreover, having greater economic flexibility allows men the luxury of prioritizing attractiveness – a desirable but not necessary trait – in their mates.
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