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vanDellen MR, Schiavone WM, Wright JWC, Bornstein JX. When What Is Beautiful Is Not Good: The Role of Trait Self-Control in Resisting Eye Candy. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2024:1461672241235386. [PMID: 38468380 DOI: 10.1177/01461672241235386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
People are drawn to and like others who are physically attractive. In the present research, we investigated the influence of trait self-control on individuals' interest in relationships with physically attractive others. We hypothesized that high (vs. low) self-control individuals would approach relationships by considering information beyond appearance about potential partners, including partners' self-control. We additionally explored the influence of other traits (e.g., Big 5, self-esteem, and attachment styles) on relationship interest. Across studies, we consistently found that individuals with higher self-control avoided pursuing relationships with attractive individuals who display low self-control. In Study 3, we observed a similar pattern for three other traits: conscientiousness, extraversion, and positivity embracement. These results suggest perceivers' self-control shapes relationship interest, particularly when attractive individuals possess less desirable qualities. The findings extend past research that attractiveness increases interest in others and highlights the potential for trait self-control to direct relationship interest during initial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jerica X Bornstein
- University of Georgia, Athens, USA
- The University of Texas at Austin, USA
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2
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Peng X, Gillath O, Jiang M, Wang B, Zhang J, Wu L. Attachment style and attention bias to emotional information: The moderating effect of stress, stimulus characteristics, and attention stage. J Pers 2023. [PMID: 37870284 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined whether insecurely attached individuals exhibit an attention bias to emotional information, and further tested the potential moderating role of stress, information valence, information attachment relevance, and attention stage. BACKGROUND Attachment style can predict people's attention to emotional information. However, the empirical findings are inconsistent, making it difficult to determine the associations between attachment style and attention bias to emotional information. METHOD We included 68 studies (N = 5417) across 46 published and unpublished articles (the initial pool was 627 articles) in the meta-analysis. RESULTS People high on attachment avoidance exhibited decreased attention toward emotional stimuli (d = -0.129, p = 0.020), which was not affected by stress, information valence, information attachment relevance, or attention stage. Conversely, people high on attachment anxiety exhibited increased attention toward emotional stimuli, especially under stress, if the information was attachment-related, and during late-stage attentional processing. They exhibited an early bias away from and a late bias toward emotional information, which was intensified under stress. CONCLUSION Our findings support the proposition that people high on attachment avoidance use deactivating strategies in attentional processing; whereas people high on attachment anxiety use hyperactivating strategies, especially when resources are limited (under stress). When resources are available, and it is relatively early in the process, people high on attachment anxiety respond similarly to those high on attachment avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Omri Gillath
- Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Mengjie Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Beiyi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lili Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Devenport S, Davis-McCabe C, Winter S. A Critical Review of the Literature Regarding the Selection of Long-Term Romantic Partners. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:3025-3042. [PMID: 37420089 PMCID: PMC10684645 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02646-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Research regarding how people choose their long-term romantic partners is extensive, but the understanding of the psychological processes behind these choices, and predicting who people choose, is elusive. This review attempts to examine potential reasons for this elusive nature by first outlining the current state of the literature and then highlighting issues within the current paradigm. First among these issues is a focus on singular perspectives and little attempt to integrate these perspectives with others. Second, many studies focus on increasingly complex designs to explore the predictive utility of trait preferences, attempts which have had only limited success. Third, novel findings appear to be unintegrated with established findings, leaving the potential combination of these ideas unrealized. Finally, long-term romantic partner selection is a complex psychological phenomenon, but current theory and research methodologies are not sufficiently addressing this complexity. This review concludes with suggestions for future research direction, including a focus on the psychology behind the partner selection process and the potential of qualitative enquiry to reveal novel pathways behind these psychological processes. There is a need for an integrative framework that permits the coexistence of established and novel ideas, and multiple perspectives, from both current and future research paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Devenport
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
| | | | - Sam Winter
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
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Prall S, Scelza B. The effect of mating market dynamics on partner preference and relationship quality among Himba pastoralists. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5629. [PMID: 35507659 PMCID: PMC9067927 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Relative mate value has long been believed to be a critical component of mate choice in humans. However, most empirical work focuses on preferences rather than actual pair formation, and data connecting partner preferences, partnership formation, and relationship quality remain rare. Here, we estimate mate value using >12,000 ratings by opposite-sex, in-group members to understand both hypothetical partnership preferences and actualized relationship dynamics. When evaluating hypothetical partnerships, people generally prefer individuals whose mate value is higher than their own, indicating an aspirational matching strategy. However, mate value comparisons of individuals in marital and nonmarital relationships show a positive correlation, suggesting that individuals tend to pair up with similarly desirable individuals. Furthermore, despite aspirational preferences, couples who are more closely matched reported greater relationship quality, measured through frequency of interactions, reported sexual histories, and partnership length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Prall
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Brooke Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Ranzini G, Rosenbaum JE, Tybur JM. Assortative (online) dating: Insights into partner choice from an experimental dating app. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.107039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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6
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Stepanova EV, Strube MJ, Mazur KD. Task measuring implicit attractiveness as a function of skin tone and facial features: a failed replication. The Journal of Social Psychology 2021; 163:522-536. [PMID: 34812126 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2021.2000355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In two studies, participants completed an implicit attractiveness task with faces as primes varying on (a) facial features from Afrocentric to Eurocentric and (b) skin tone from dark to light, and target pictures of environmental scenes varying in attractiveness. On each trial, participants were briefly primed with a face. Next, they categorized a target picture as either attractive or unattractive as quickly as possible. In addition, in Study 2, participants rated the same faces on an attractiveness scale. While results of Study 1 showed that when faces were medium in skin tone, participants were more accurate when primed with a Eurocentric face responding to attractive targets, but also more accurate when primed with an Afrocentric face responding to unattractive targets, a more powerful Study 2 failed to replicate this effect. There was no relationship between participants' explicit ratings of attractiveness and accuracy rates in the implicit attractiveness task.
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Croijmans I, Beetsma D, Aarts H, Gortemaker I, Smeets M. The role of fragrance and self-esteem in perception of body odors and impressions of others. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258773. [PMID: 34780484 PMCID: PMC8592444 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human sweat odor serves as social communication signal for a person’s traits and emotional states. This study explored whether body odors can also communicate information about one’s self-esteem, and the role of applied fragrance in this relationship. Female participants were asked to rate self-esteem and attractiveness of different male contestants of a dating show, while being exposed to male participant’s body odors differing in self-esteem. High self-esteem sweat was rated more pleasant and less intense than low self-esteem sweat. However, there was no difference in perceived self-esteem and attractiveness of male contestants in videos, hence explicit differences in body odor did not transfer to judgments of related person characteristics. When the body odor was fragranced using a fragranced body spray, male contestants were rated as having higher self-esteem and being more attractive. The finding that body odors from male participants differing in self-esteem are rated differently and can be discriminated suggests self-esteem has distinct perceivable olfactory features, but the remaining findings imply that only fragrance affect the psychological impression someone makes. These findings are discussed in the context of the role of body odor and fragrance in human perception and social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilja Croijmans
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Daniel Beetsma
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk Aarts
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse Gortemaker
- UNILEVER R&D Beauty & Personal Care Science & Technology, Consumer Science, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Monique Smeets
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- UNILEVER R&D Beauty & Personal Care Science & Technology, Consumer Science, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Driebe JC, Sidari MJ, Dufner M, von der Heiden JM, Bürkner PC, Penke L, Zietsch BP, Arslan RC. Intelligence can be detected but is not found attractive in videos and live interactions. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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9
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Chopik WJ, Johnson DJ. Modeling dating decisions in a mock swiping paradigm: An examination of participant and target characteristics. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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10
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Arantes J, Pinho M, Wearden J, Albuquerque PB. "Time Slows Down Whenever You Are Around" for Women but Not for Men. Front Psychol 2021; 12:641729. [PMID: 33889113 PMCID: PMC8056007 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
What happens when we unexpectedly see an attractive potential partner? Previous studies in laboratory settings suggest that the visualization of attractive and unattractive photographs influences the perception of time. The major aim of this research is to study time perception and attraction in a realistic social scenario, by investigating if changes in subjective time measured during a speed dating are associated with attraction. The duration of the dates was variable and participants had to estimate the time that passed. Among other measures, participants also rated the potential partners in terms of their physical attractiveness before and after the dates and reported if they would like to exchange contact with them. Results showed that, in a real speed dating situation, when there is a perception of the partner as being physically more attractive, women tend to overestimate the duration of that meeting, whereas men tend to underestimate its duration. Such changes may reflect evolutionary adaptations which make the human cognitive system more responsive in situations related to reproductive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Arantes
- School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | | | - John Wearden
- School of Psychology, Keele University, Keele, United Kingdom
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11
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Johnson SN, Engeln R. Gender Discrepancies in Perceptions of the Bodies of Female Fashion Models. SEX ROLES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-020-01167-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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12
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Brockmeyer T, Burdenski K, Anderle A, Voges MM, Vocks S, Schmidt H, Wünsch-Leiteritz W, Leiteritz A, Friederich HC. Approach and avoidance bias for thin-ideal and normal-weight body shapes in anorexia nervosa. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2020; 28:536-550. [PMID: 32431093 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The two studies aimed to examine implicit affective evaluations of thin-ideal and normal-weight body shapes in women with anorexia nervosa (AN), taking identification with body shapes into account. METHOD In study 1, approach-avoidance bias for thin-ideal and normal-weight bodies was assessed in 40 women with AN and 40 healthy women by using an Approach-Avoidance Task and female avatar bodies with a standard face as stimuli. In study 2, 39 women with AN and 38 healthy women underwent a similar task but identification with bodies was manipulated by presenting bodies once with the participant's own face and once with another woman's face. RESULTS In study 1, patients with AN did not differ from healthy participants in their automatic approach-avoidance tendencies towards thin-ideal and normal-weight bodies. In study 2, no definite approach bias for a thin self and no avoidance bias for thin other women or for a normal-weight self were found. However, as compared to healthy women, those with AN showed a less positive implicit evaluation of thin other women, and an implicit preference for thin bodies depicted as themselves over thin bodies depicted as another woman. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that intra-sexual competition for being slim is increased in AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Brockmeyer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kathrin Burdenski
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alisa Anderle
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mona M Voges
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Silja Vocks
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Hans-Christoph Friederich
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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13
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Lee AJ, Jones BC, DeBruine LM. Investigating the association between mating-relevant self-concepts and mate preferences through a data-driven analysis of online personal descriptions. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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14
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Wolfs K, Bos AER, Mevissen FEF, Peters GJY, van Lankveld JJDM. Sexual Arousal and Implicit and Explicit Determinants of Condom Use Intentions. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2019; 48:469-480. [PMID: 30003438 PMCID: PMC6373232 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1257-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Being sexually aroused may be an important risk factor contributing to sexual decision making. Dual-process cognitive models, such as the reflective-impulsive model of Strack and Deutsch (2004), could be used to explain the effect of sexual arousal on intentions to use a condom. In this study, we investigated whether explicit and implicit attitudes toward condom use can predict intentions to use a condom when participants are sexually aroused and not aroused. In a within-subjects experimental design, male participants (N = 27) watched both a neutral and an erotic movie clip in counterbalanced order. After each clip, participants completed a questionnaire assessing their intentions to use a condom and explicit condom attitudes, followed by a wanting Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald et al., 2003) and a liking IAT to assess their implicit attitudes to unsafe sex. In concordance with the reflective-impulsive model, we found that when participants were not sexually aroused, their intentions to use a condom were solely predicted by their explicit attitudes. However, when they were sexually aroused, intentions to use a condom were predicted by both explicit and implicit attitudes toward condom use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenny Wolfs
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
- Treatment Center for People with a Mild Intellectual Disability, AltraCura, 6161 DJ, Geleen, The Netherlands.
| | - Arjan E R Bos
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Fraukje E F Mevissen
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Gjalt-Jorn Y Peters
- Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
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Fisher MI, Hammond MD. Personal Ties and Prejudice: A Meta-Analysis of Romantic Attachment and Ambivalent Sexism. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2018; 45:1084-1098. [DOI: 10.1177/0146167218804551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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16
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Ledgerwood A, Eastwick PW, Smith LK. Toward an Integrative Framework for Studying Human Evaluation: Attitudes Toward Objects and Attributes. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2018; 22:378-398. [DOI: 10.1177/1088868318790718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Evaluation is central to human experience, and multiple literatures have studied it. This article pulls from research on attitudes, human and nonhuman mating preferences, consumer behavior, and beyond to build a more comprehensive framework for studying evaluation. First, we distinguish between evaluations of objects (persons, places, things) and evaluations of attributes (dimensions, traits, characteristics). Then, we further distinguish between summarized attribute preferences (a valenced response to a direction on a dimension, such as liking sweetness in desserts) and functional attribute preferences (a valenced response to increasing levels of a dimension in a set of targets, such as the extent to which sweetness predicts liking for desserts). We situate these constructs with respect to existing distinctions in the attitude literature (e.g., specific/general, indirect/direct). Finally, new models address how people translate functional into summarized preferences, as well as how attribute preferences affect (a) subsequent evaluations of objects and (b) situation selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fernanda Laus
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences, and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Department of Kinesiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 455 Enderis Hall, Milwaukee, WI 53201, United States
| | - Sebastião S. Almeida
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences, and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Lori A. Klos
- Department of Kinesiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 455 Enderis Hall, Milwaukee, WI 53201, United States
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Eastwick PW, Finkel EJ, Simpson JA. Best Practices for Testing the Predictive Validity of Ideal Partner Preference-Matching. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2018; 45:167-181. [DOI: 10.1177/0146167218780689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Many psychological hypotheses require testing whether the similarity between two variables predicts important outcomes. For example, the ideal standards model posits that the match between (A) a participant’s ideal partner preferences, and (B) the traits of a current/potential partner, predicts (C) evaluative outcomes (e.g., the decision to date someone, relationship satisfaction, breakup); tests of the predictive validity of ideal-matching require A × B → C analytic strategies. However, recent articles have incorrectly suggested that documenting a positive samplewide correlation between a participant’s ideals and a current partner’s traits (an A-B correlation) implies that participants pursued, selected, or desired partners with traits that matched their ideals. There are at least six alternative explanations for the emergence of a samplewide A-B correlation; A-B correlations do not provide evidence that ideals guide the selection/evaluation of specific partners. We review appropriately rigorous A × B → C tests that can aid scholars in identifying the circumstances in which ideal-matching exhibits predictive validity.
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Eastwick PW, Smith LK. Sex-differentiated effects of physical attractiveness on romantic desire: a highly powered, preregistered study in a photograph evaluation context. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/23743603.2018.1425089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul W. Eastwick
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Leigh K. Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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20
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Tsang JA, Martin SR. Four experiments on the relational dynamics and prosocial consequences of gratitude. JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2017.1388435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jo-Ann Tsang
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Stephen R. Martin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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Rodrigues D, Lopes D, Alexopoulos T, Goldenberg L. A new look at online attraction: Unilateral initial attraction and the pivotal role of perceived similarity. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
The authors of sexual economics theory (Baumeister & Twenge, 2002; Baumeister & Vohs, 2004) argue that sex is a female commodity that women exchange for men’s resources; therefore, women (not men) are responsible for the cultural suppression of sexuality, ostensibly to preserve the value of sex. In this article, I describe the central tenets of sexual economics theory and summarize a growing body of research contradicting them. I also explain the negative implications of the claims of sexual economics theory for gender equality and heterosexual relationships. Researchers, clinicians, and educators engaged in understanding human sexuality may use the arguments provided in this article to counteract gender myths. This article also serves as a case study of how feminist scholars can employ empirical evidence to weaken a popularized, patriarchal theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie A. Rudman
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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23
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The Importance of Physical Attractiveness to the Mate Choices of Women and Their Mothers. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-017-0092-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Chappetta KC, Barth JM. How gender role stereotypes affect attraction in an online dating scenario. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Fetterolf JC, Rudman LA. Exposure to Sexual Economics Theory Promotes a Hostile View of Heterosexual Relationships. PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN QUARTERLY 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0361684316669697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Proponents of sexual economics theory argue that women exchange sex for men’s resources. This idea is likely to promote a competitive view of gender relationships that undermines gender equality by characterizing women as manipulative and financially dependent on men. Heterosexual college students ( N = 474) who were randomly exposed to a popular YouTube video describing sexual economics theory increased their (1) behavioral support for sexual exchange concepts, (2) endorsement of the theory, and (3) adversarial views of heterosexual relationships, compared with a control group of students. Sexual exchange theory endorsement and adversarial heterosexual beliefs positively covaried, and both attitudes were related to participants’ sexism. Reading a critique of sexual exchange theory, that emphasized mutual respect and affection as precursors to heterosexual intimacy, counteracted the consequences of exposure to the theory. The findings provide evidence that disseminating sexual exchange theory via video on the Internet negatively affects young adults’ views of gender relationships. Educators, and others who wish to explore sexual economics theory through the use of this video, should also include a discussion of the countervailing evidence available. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/page/pwq/suppl/index .
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Affiliation(s)
- Janell C. Fetterolf
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Laurie A. Rudman
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Vacharkulksemsuk T, Reit E, Khambatta P, Eastwick PW, Finkel EJ, Carney DR. Dominant, open nonverbal displays are attractive at zero-acquaintance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:4009-14. [PMID: 27035937 PMCID: PMC4839399 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1508932113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Across two field studies of romantic attraction, we demonstrate that postural expansiveness makes humans more romantically appealing. In a field study (n = 144 speed-dates), we coded nonverbal behaviors associated with liking, love, and dominance. Postural expansiveness-expanding the body in physical space-was most predictive of attraction, with each one-unit increase in coded behavior from the video recordings nearly doubling a person's odds of getting a "yes" response from one's speed-dating partner. In a subsequent field experiment (n = 3,000), we tested the causality of postural expansion (vs. contraction) on attraction using a popular Global Positioning System-based online-dating application. Mate-seekers rapidly flipped through photographs of potential sexual/date partners, selecting those they desired to meet for a date. Mate-seekers were significantly more likely to select partners displaying an expansive (vs. contractive) nonverbal posture. Mediation analyses demonstrate one plausible mechanism through which expansiveness is appealing: Expansiveness makes the dating candidate appear more dominant. In a dating world in which success sometimes is determined by a split-second decision rendered after a brief interaction or exposure to a static photograph, single persons have very little time to make a good impression. Our research suggests that a nonverbal dominance display increases a person's chances of being selected as a potential mate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Reit
- Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Poruz Khambatta
- Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Paul W Eastwick
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Eli J Finkel
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208; Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208
| | - Dana R Carney
- Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
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Brandon M, Morgentaler A. Male and Female Sexual Dysfunction in a Rapidly Changing Cultural Environment: Addressing Gender Equality versus Equivalence in the Bedroom. Sex Med Rev 2016; 4:96-102. [PMID: 27872026 DOI: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The socio-sexual climate in Western cultures is changing at an astounding rate. Never before have societal expectations about gender roles shifted so radically, transforming our understanding of what it means to be a sexual man or woman today. We have observed that confusion regarding masculine and feminine roles within long-term committed relationships can represent challenges for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Despite the relevance to sexual medicine, sexual medicine specialists have largely avoided this controversial topic. AIM To review the current literature relating to heterosexual gender roles and sexual intimacy, to offer perspective and context on this issue, and to propose an approach to the man, woman, or couple based in evolutionary theory that we have found useful in our extensive clinical experiences. METHODS We reviewed the English-language peer-reviewed literature, primarily from 2000 through 2015, that addressed the impact of heterosexual gender role expression on sexual intimacy in long-term committed relationships. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Main outcomes include a review of the applicable literature and an assessment of the literature's relevance for patients and practitioners of sexual medicine. An alternative context for understanding heterosexual gender expression grounded in evolutionary theory is provided, as is a new treatment perspective based on our work as a sex therapist and an urologist. RESULTS The impact of gender expression on sexual experience might be impossible to ascertain fully because it is difficult to quantify in research, independently and especially in combination. Furthermore, existing research is fraught with challenges and inadequacies. CONCLUSION Although we acknowledge and affirm the critical importance of gender equality, modern conceptualizations of gender in the literature ignore pertinent evolutionary adaptations and might be minimally applicable to sexual medicine patients. More research is needed. We propose that equality of genders does not necessarily mean similarity of genders, at least in sexual medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abraham Morgentaler
- Director and Founder, Men's Health Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Gillath O, Collins T. Unconscious Desire: The Affective and Motivational Aspects of Subliminal Sexual Priming. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:5-20. [PMID: 26494359 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-015-0609-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 07/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Sexual arousal is thought to be the result of the processing of sexual cues at two levels: conscious and unconscious. Whereas numerous studies have examined the affective and motivational responses to supraliminal (consciously processed) sexual cues, much less is known regarding the responses to subliminal (processed outside of one's awareness) sexual cues. Five studies examined responses to subliminal sexual cues. Studies 1–3 demonstrated increases in adults' positive affect following exposure to subliminal sexual cues compared to control cues. Study 4 demonstrated that the positive affect resulting from exposure to subliminal sexual cues increased motivation to further engage in a neutral task. Study 5 provided evidence suggesting that the affect and motivation found in Studies 1–4 were associated with motivation to engage in sex specifically, rather than a general approach motivation. The implications of these findings for the processing of subliminal sexual cues and for human sexuality are discussed.
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Zentner M, Eagly AH. A sociocultural framework for understanding partner preferences of women and men: Integration of concepts and evidence. EUROPEAN REVIEW OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/10463283.2015.1111599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Finkel EJ, Eastwick PW, Karney BR, Reis HT, Sprecher S. Online Dating: A Critical Analysis From the Perspective of Psychological Science. Psychol Sci Public Interest 2015; 13:3-66. [PMID: 26173279 DOI: 10.1177/1529100612436522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Murnen SK, Poinsatte K, Huntsman K, Goldfarb J, Glaser D. Body ideals for heterosexual romantic partners: gender and sociocultural influences. Body Image 2015; 12:22-31. [PMID: 25462878 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, heterosexual college women (N=327) and men (N=160) were asked about their body type preferences for (hypothetical) romantic partners. Participants chose a particular silhouette value as ideal for a romantic partner, and rated how important it was to them for their partner to have this ideal body type. Men placed more importance on the body silhouette they chose for a partner than women did, and men's importance ratings were positively associated with the rated sexual permissiveness of their peer group and their total media use. Consuming sports media and watching reality television were the best media predictors of men's judgments about women's bodies. Less variability was explained in women's preferences for men partners' bodies, but endorsing adversarial sexual attitudes was positively related to judging the ideals chosen for men's bodies as important. Results were interpreted within both evolutionary and sociocultural theoretical frameworks.
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Gawronski B, Bodenhausen GV. Implicit and Explicit Evaluation: A Brief Review of the Associative-Propositional Evaluation Model. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Rudman LA, Fetterolf JC. Gender and Sexual Economics. Psychol Sci 2014; 25:1438-47. [DOI: 10.1177/0956797614533123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the study reported here, data from implicit and behavioral choice measures did not support sexual economics theory’s (SET’s) central tenet that women view female sexuality as a commodity. Instead, men endorsed sexual exchange more than women did, which supports the idea that SET is a vestige of patriarchy. Further, men’s sexual advice, more than women’s, enforced the sexual double standard (i.e., men encouraged men more than women to have casual sex)—a gender difference that was mediated by hostile sexism, but also by men’s greater implicit investment in sexual economics. That is, men were more likely to suppress female sexuality because they resisted female empowerment and automatically associated sex with money more than women did. It appears that women are not invested in sexual economics, but rather, men are invested in patriarchy, even when it means raising the price of sexual relations.
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Krause S, Back MD, Egloff B, Schmukle SC. Implicit Interpersonal Attraction in Small Groups. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550613517723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The present research investigated the nature and behavioral consequences of interpersonal attraction in small groups. In line with dual-process models of information processing, we studied the influence of implicit and explicit evaluations of interaction partners on actual friendly behavior in two social contexts. In two studies, 247 unacquainted same-sex participants ( N1 = 139; N2 = 108)—assigned to groups of four to six members—rated each other by completing a variant of the affective priming task to assess implicit interpersonal attraction and a self-report to measure explicit interpersonal attraction. Social relations analyses indicated that implicit and explicit interpersonal attraction were (a) primarily present on the relationship level, (b) reliably assessed, (c) independent of each other, and (d) predicted behavior in subsequent interactions. Importantly, implicit interpersonal attraction predicted both actual behavior in an online game and friendly behavior in a group discussion task above and beyond explicit interpersonal attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Krause
- Department of Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mitja D. Back
- Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Boris Egloff
- Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Meltzer AL, McNulty JK, Jackson GL, Karney BR. Sex differences in the implications of partner physical attractiveness for the trajectory of marital satisfaction. J Pers Soc Psychol 2013; 106:418-28. [PMID: 24128188 DOI: 10.1037/a0034424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Do men value physical attractiveness in a mate more than women? Scientists in numerous disciplines believe that they do, but recent research using speed-dating paradigms suggests that males and females are equally influenced by physical attractiveness when choosing potential mates. Nevertheless, the premise of the current work is that sex differences in the importance of physical attractiveness are most likely to emerge in research on long-term relationships. Accordingly, the current work drew from 4 independent, longitudinal studies to examine sex differences in the implications of partner physical attractiveness for trajectories of marital satisfaction. In all 4 studies, both partners' physical attractiveness was objectively rated at baseline, and both partners reported their marital satisfaction up to 8 times over the first 4 years of marriage. Whereas husbands were more satisfied at the beginning of the marriage and remained more satisfied over the next 4 years to the extent that they had an attractive wife, wives were no more or less satisfied initially or over the next 4 years to the extent that they had an attractive husband. Most importantly, a direct test indicated that partner physical attractiveness played a larger role in predicting husbands' satisfaction than predicting wives' satisfaction. These findings strengthen support for the idea that sex differences in self-reported preferences for physical attractiveness do have implications for long-term relationship outcomes.
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Reis HT, Aron A, Clark MS, Finkel EJ. Ellen Berscheid, Elaine Hatfield, and the Emergence of Relationship Science. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2013; 8:558-72. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691613497966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the past 25 years, relationship science has grown from a nascent research area to a thriving subdiscipline of psychological science. In no small measure, this development reflects the pioneering contributions of Ellen Berscheid and Elaine Hatfield. Beginning at a time when relationships did not appear on the map of psychological science, these two scholars identified relationships as a crucial subject for scientific psychology and began to chart its theoretical and empirical territory. In this article, we review several of their most influential contributions, describing the innovative foundation they built as well as the manner in which this foundation helped set the stage for contemporary advances in knowledge about relationships. We conclude by discussing the broader relevance of this work for psychological science.
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Tidwell ND, Eastwick PW. Sex Differences in Succumbing to Sexual Temptations. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2013; 39:1620-33. [DOI: 10.1177/0146167213499614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Stulp G, Buunk AP, Kurzban R, Verhulst S. The height of choosiness: mutual mate choice for stature results in suboptimal pair formation for both sexes. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Eastwick PW, Hunt LL, Neff LA. External Validity, Why Art Thou Externally Valid? Recent Studies of Attraction Provide Three Theoretical Answers. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Do Ideal Partner Preferences Predict Divorce? A Tale of Two Metrics. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2012. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550611435941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Though people report idiosyncratic desires for particular traits in an ideal romantic partner, few studies have examined whether these ideals predict important long-term relationship outcomes. The present 3.5-year longitudinal study of newlywed couples used survival analysis to investigate whether the match between participants’ ideal preferences and the traits they perceive in their partner predict the likelihood of divorce. Results depended entirely on whether the match was conceptualized as a match in level (e.g., high ideal preference for a trait with the presence of the trait in the partner) or in pattern (e.g., the within-person correlation of ideals with a partner’s traits across all traits). The match between the pattern of ideals and traits negatively predicted divorce with an effect size larger than most established divorce risk factors. However, the match in level was unrelated to divorce, suggesting that perspectives emphasizing ideals for the level of traits may encounter predictive validity problems.
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