CHAPTER 4

Women’s Long Term Mating Strategies

Theoretical Background

Parental Investment TheoryFemales are a valuable reproductive asset

Gametes Pregnancy Lactation Nurturing

How is sex more risky for women? Is this still true today?

Predictions From Parental Investment Theory

1. The more investing sex (females) will be more selective about mating than the less investing sex

2. The less investing sex (males) will be more competitive for sexual access to the high investing sex (females).

Problems Women Face

Selecting men who possess attributes that confer benefits

Avoiding men who possess liabilitiesDetecting deception in potential matesIntegrating various inputs into a weighted

decision about whether to accept or reject a potential mate

What Women Want in a Long term Mate: Resources

Resources- is he willing and able to invest? Financial prospects Status Age Ambition Dependable and stable

Protection

Athletic prowessHeightStrengthBuild

Health

Symmetry: developmental stability

Facial features; masculinity May signal healthier immune system

Bad Boy or Baby Face?

Love and Commitment

Expressions of commitmentFidelityResource sharingEmotional support

Willingness to Invest in Children

Men’s desire for sexual variety may lead them to channel resources elsewhere

Men withhold investment when they are less sure of paternity

Women prefer long term partners who show interest in childrenWomen can detect men’s interest in children by looking at their faces

Brief Summary- What do Women Want?

Character traits Signal ability and willingness to invest Signal ability to protect Signal long-term cooperation

Health Symmetry and masculinity may be cues to health Looks less important than character in long-term

mates

Similarity

Long-term relationships require long term cooperation

Similarity is important in Values Political orientation Worldview Intelligence Personality

Humor, Incest Avoidance, and Voice

Why do women like men who make them laugh?

Incest avoidance: both men and womenVoice: women prefer deeper voices, but more

for short-term mating

Context Effects on Mating Preferences: What About Women who Have Plenty of Resources Already?

Structural powerlessness hypothesis: Do women prefer resources simply because women lack power

Even in societies where women have power and resources, they still expect it from men

More successful women place a higher premium on resources

Menstrual Cycle Effects

Masculine features preferred more at fertile phase

Symmetry preferred more during fertile phase

Women change dress and behavior during fertile phase

Stripper study: strippers earn more tips during fertile phase

What About The Woman’s Mate Value?

Women who perceive themselves to be more attractive are more attracted to masculine features for long-term mating

Younger and more attractive women have more criteria for long-term mates

Examining Actual Behaviors

In personal advertisements, women respond more to Older men and taller men More educated men Men with higher incomes

Physical attractiveness of wife correlates with husband’s status

Women marry men who are on average about 3 years older

Men compete on the characteristics that women prefer, and deceive women on those characteristics

Exposure to attractive women causes men to value things that women prefer

The Problems with Decision Making

The evolution of love (Helen Fisher)testosterone- lustdopamine- romanceoxytocin-attachment

Sex and romance feed each other- both suppress critical areas of brain

General arousal can accelerate feelings of romantic attraction

Birth control pills may inhibit evaluation mechanisms early in a relationship