Integrating evolutionary and social exchange perspectives on relationships: Effects of gender, self-appraisal, and involvement level on mate selection criteria.

TLDR

Evolutionary models emphasize sex differences while social‑exchange models focus on self‑appraisals; this study integrates both to examine partner‑selection traits across relationship stages. The authors aim to merge evolutionary and social‑exchange perspectives by investigating which traits males and females desire in partners at various levels of relationship development. Study 1 surveyed students on minimum partner criteria for five relationship types and on self‑ratings across 24 traits. Men set lower criteria than women for casual liaisons, and their self‑ratings were weakly correlated with their criteria for a one‑night stand.

Abstract

Two studies examined which traits males and females desire in partners at various levels of relationship development in an attempt to integrate evolutionary models (which emphasize sex differences) and social exchange models (which emphasize self-appraisals). In Study 1, male and female students specified their minimum criteria on 24 traits for a date, sexual partner, exclusive dating partner, marriage partner, and 1-night sexual liaison. They also rated themselves on the same dimensions. Sex differences were greatest for casual sexual liaisons, with mens criteria being consistently lower than women's. Men's self-ratings were generally less correlated with their criteria for a 1-night stand, as well