Definition
Humans are more selective when considering partners for a long-term relationship compared to a short-term one.
Introduction
The characteristics modern men and women desire in a partner differ as a function of mating context. Overall, this pattern reflects a general “relaxing” of standards in a short-term mating context compared to a long-term one. For example, compared to a long-term partner, both sexes are willing to tolerate a prospective casual mate who is lower in intelligence, kindness, and social status (Kenrick et al. 1993; Li and Kenrick 2006).
However, not all standards are relaxed in the context of casual mating. Desire for physical attractiveness in a potential partner, for instance, appears to be maintained, or even enhanced, in a short-term mating context compared to a long-term one (Kenrick et al. 1993; Li and Kenrick 2006). Understanding why standards are lower in some...
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References
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Thomas, A.G. (2018). Lowering Partner Standards in a Short-Term Mating Context. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_264-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_264-1
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