Abstract
Studies in evolutionary psychology and sexual selection theory show that heterosexual men prefer younger mating partners than heterosexual women in order to ensure reproductive success. However, previous research has generally not examined differences in mating preferences as a function of sexual orientation or the type of relationship sought in naturalistic settings. Given that homosexual men seek partners for reasons other than procreation, they may exhibit different mating preferences than their heterosexual counterparts. Moreover, mating preferences may show important differences depending on whether an individual is seeking a long-term versus a short-term relationship. The purpose of the present study was to examine these issues by comparing partner preferences in terms of age and relationship type between homosexual and heterosexual men placing internet personal advertisements. Participants included 439 homosexual and 365 heterosexual men who placed internet ads in the U.S. or Canada. Ads were coded for the participant’s age, relationship type (longer-term or short-term sexual encounter) sought, and partner age preferences. Significantly more homosexual than heterosexual men sought sexual encounters, although men (regardless of sexual orientation) seeking sexual encounters preferred a significantly wider age range of partners than men seeking longer-term relationships. These findings suggest that partner preferences are independent of evolutionary drives to procreate, since both types of men preferred similar ages in their partners. In addition, they highlight the importance of examining relationship type in evolutionary studies of mating preferences, as men’s partner preferences show important differences depending upon the type of relationship sought.
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Acknowledgements
Parts of this manuscript have been presented at the Behavioral Genetics Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, June 2003. The authors also wish to thank Timothy Wesch, Lori Sweet, and Mark Ringholz for their assistance in the data collection portion of this project, Lynwood Clemens for his significant contributions to the development of the framework and design for this study, and to Michael Smeltzer and Katie Grausam for a critical reading of the manuscript. This research was supported by an individual undergraduate research grant “Dean’s Assistantship” and “Dean Gwen Andrew Undergraduate Research Award” from the College of Social Science at Michigan State University awarded to KLG.
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Gobrogge, K.L., Perkins, P.S., Baker, J.H. et al. Homosexual Mating Preferences from an Evolutionary Perspective: Sexual Selection Theory Revisited. Arch Sex Behav 36, 717–723 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9216-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9216-x