Abstract
Although robust sex differences are abundant in men and women’s mating psychology, there is a considerable degree of overlap between the two as well. In an effort to understand where and when this overlap exists, the current study provides an exploration of within-sex variation in women’s mate preferences. We hypothesized that women’s intelligence, given an environment where women can use that intelligence to attain educational and career opportunities, would be: (1) positively related to their willingness to engage in short-term sexual relationships, (2) negatively related to their desire for qualities in a partner that indicated wealth and status, and (3) negatively related to their endorsement of traditional gender roles in romantic relationships. These predictions were supported. Results suggest that intelligence may be one important individual difference influencing women’s mate preferences.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Because there is a fixed budget, allocation to one trait is dependent on what has already been allocated to all the others. However, since the results replicate those of the Hill scale, it is unlikely that they are the result of statistical peculiarities of the scale.
References
Benbow, C. P., Lubinski, D., Shea, D. L., & Eftekhari-Sanjani, H. (2000). Sex differences in mathematical reasoning ability at age 13: Their status 20 years later. Psychological Science, 11(6), 474–480.
Buss, D. M. (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 12, 1–49.
Buss, D. M. (1994). The evolution of desire: Strategies of human mating. New York: Basic Books.
Buss, D. M. (1996). Sexual conflict: Evolutionary insights into feminism and the “battle of the sexes. In D. M. Buss & N. M. Malamuth (Eds.), Sex, power, conflict: Evolutionary and feminist perspectives (pp. 296–318). New York: Oxford University Press.
Buss, D. M., & Barnes, M. B. (1986). Preferences in human mate selection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(3), 559–570.
Buss, D. M., & Schmitt, D. P. (1993). Sexual strategies theory: An evolutionary perspective on human mating. Psychological Review, 100, 204–232.
Clark, R. D., & Hatfield, E. (1989). Gender differences in receptivity to sexual offers. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 2, 39–55.
Clutton-Brock, T. H. (1991). The evolution of parental care. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (1999). The origins of sex differences in human behavior: Evolved dispositions versus social roles. American Psychologist, 54(6), 408–423.
Frey, M. C., & Detterman, D. K. (2004). Scholastic assessment or g? The relationship between the scholastic assessment test and general cognitive ability. Psychological Science, 15(6), 373–378.
Gangestad, S. W., & Simpson, J. A. (1990). Toward an evolutionary history of female sociosexual variation. Journal of Personality, 58, 69–96.
Gangestad, S. W., & Simpson, J. A. (2000). The evolution of human mating: Trade-offs and strategic pluralism. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23, 573–587.
Geary, D. C. (2000). Evolution and proximate expression of human paternal investment. Psychological Bulletin, 126(1), 55–77.
Gross, M. R. (1996). Alternative reproductive strategies and tactics: Diversity within sexes. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 92–97.
Hill, R. (1945). Campus values in mate selection. Journal of Home Economics, 37, 554–558.
Jackson, J. J., & Kirkpatrick, L. (2007). The structure and measurement of human mating strategies: Toward a multidimensional model of sociosexuality. Evolution and Human Behavior, 28(6), 382–391.
Kasser, T., & Sharma, Y. S. (1999). Reproductive freedom, educational equality, and females’ preference for resource-acquisition characteristics in mates. Psychological Science, 10(4), 374–377.
Kaufman, A. S., & Kaufman, N. I. (1990). Kaufman brief intelligence test manual. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Kenrick, D. T., & Keefe, R. C. (1992). Age preferences in mates reflect sex differences in human reproduction strategies. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 15(1), 75–91.
Li, N. P., Bailey, J. M., Kenrick, D. T., & Linsenmeier, J. A. W. (2002). The necessities and luxuries of mate preferences: Testing the tradeoffs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 947–955.
Moore, F. R., & Cassidy, C. (2007). Female status predicts female mate preferences across nonindustrial societies. Cross-cultural Research, 41(1), 66–74.
Moore, F. R., Cassidy, C., Smith, M. J. L., & Perrett, D. I. (2006). The effects of female control of resources on sex-differentiated mate preferences. Evolution and Human Behavior, 27, 193–205.
Naugle, R. I., Chelune, G. J., & Tucker, G. D. (1993). Validity of the Kaufman brief intelligence test. Psychological Assessment, 5, 182–186.
Penton-Voak, I. S., Little, A. C., Jones, B. C., Burt, D. M., Tiddeman, B. P., & Perrett, D. I. (2003). Female condition influences preferences for sexual dimorphism in faces of male humans (Homo sapiens). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 117, 262–271.
Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. (2004). General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(1), 162–173.
Schmitt, D. P. (2003). Universal sex differences in the desire for sexual variety: Tests from 52 nations, 6 continents, and 13 islands. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(1), 85–104.
Simpson, J. A., & Gangestad, S. W. (1991). Individual differences in sociosexuality: Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(6), 870–883.
Simpson, J. A., & Lapaglia, J. (2006). An evolutionary account of strategic pluralism in human mating changes in mate preferences across the menstrual cycle. In J. P. Forgas, M. G. Haselton, & W. von Hippel (Eds.), The evolution of the social mind: Evolutionary psychology and social cognition (pp. 161–177). New York: Psychology Press.
Spearman, C. (1904). “General intelligence,” objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology, 15, 201–293.
Sprecher, S., Sullivan, Q., & Hatfield, E. (1994). Mate selection preferences: Gender differences examined in a national sample. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 1074–1080.
Spreen, O., & Strauss, E. (1998). A compendium of neuropsychological tests: Administration, norms, and commentary. New York: Oxford University Press.
Symons, D. (1979). The evolution of human sexuality. New York: Oxford University Press.
Townsend, J. M. (1989). Mate selection criteria: A pilot study. Ethology and Sociobiology, 10, 241–253.
Townsend, J. M. (1993). Sexuality and partner selection: Sex differences among college students. Ethology and Sociobiology, 14, 305–330.
Townsend, J. M., & Roberts, L. W. (1993). Gender differences in mate preference among law students: Divergence and convergence of criteria. Journal of Psychology, 127(5), 507–528.
Trivers, R. (1972). Parental investment and sexual selection. In B. Campbell (Ed.), Sexual selection and the descent of man, 1871–1971 (pp. 136–179). Chicago: Aldine.
Vigil, J. M., Geary, D. C., & Byrd-Craven, J. (2006). Trade-offs in low-income women’s mate preferences: Within-sex differences in reproductive strategy. Human Nature, 17(3), 319–336.
Weiderman, M. W., & Allgeier, E. R. (1992). Gender differences in mate selection criteria: Sociobiological or socioeconomic explanation? Ethology and Sociobiology, 13, 115–124.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Bobbi Low and four anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix
Appendix
Adherence to Gender Roles in Courtship and Marriage
-
1.
I believe that men should always pay on dates.
-
2.
I hope for a very traditional proposal including a large diamond ring.
-
3.
I believe it is appropriate for women to take their husband’s last name after marriage.
-
4.
I believe that women’s primary job is to work inside the home and raise children.
-
5.
I expect that when I am married my husband and I will have a traditional division labor where he is the breadwinner and I am the homemaker.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stanik, C.E., Ellsworth, P.C. Who Cares About Marrying a Rich Man? Intelligence and Variation in Women’s Mate Preferences. Hum Nat 21, 203–217 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-010-9089-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-010-9089-x