Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 Countries: A large-scale replication

Kathryn V. Walter; Daniel Conroy-Beam; David M. Buss; Kelly Asao; Agnieszka Sorokowska; Piotr Sorokowski; Toivo Aavik; Grace Akello; Mohammad Madallh Alhabahba; Charlotte Alm; Naumana Amjad; Afifa Anjum; Chiemezie S. Atama; Derya Atamtürk Duyar; Richard Ayebare; Carlota Batres; Mons Bendixen; Aicha Bensafia; Boris Bizumic; Mahmoud Boussena; Marina Butovskaya; Seda Can; Katarzyna Cantarero; Antonin Carrier; Hakan Cetinkaya; Ilona Croy; Rosa María Cueto; Marcin Czub; Daria Dronova; Seda Dural; Izzet Duyar; Berna Ertugrul; Agustín Espinosa; Ignacio Estevan; Carla Sofia Esteves; Luxi Fang; Tomasz Frackowiak; Jorge Contreras Garduño; Karina Ugalde González; Farida Guemaz; Petra Gyuris; Mária Halamová; Iskra Herak; Marina Horvat; Ivana Hromatko; Chin-Ming Hui; Jas Laile Jaafar; Feng Jiang; Konstantinos Kafetsios; Tina Kavčič; Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair; Nicolas Kervyn; Truong Thi Khanh Ha; Imran Ahmed Khilji; Nils C. Köbis; Hoang Moc Lan; András Láng; Georgina R. Lennard; Ernesto León; Torun Lindholm; Trinh Thi Linh; Giulia Lopez; Nguyen Van Luot; Alvaro Mailhos; Zoi Manesi; Rocio Martinez; Sarah L. Mckerchar; Norbert Meskó; Girishwar Misra; Conal Monaghan; Emanuel C. Mora; Alba Moya-Garófano; Bojan Musil; Jean Carlos Natividade; Agnieszka Niemczyk; George Nizharadze; Elisabeth Oberzaucher; Anna Oleszkiewicz; Mohd Sofian Omar-Fauzee; Ike E. Onyishi; Baris Özener; Ariela Francesca Pagani; Vilmante Pakalniskiene; Miriam Parise; Farid Pazhoohi; Annette Pisanski; Katarzyna Pisanski; Edna Ponciano; Camelia Popa; Pavol Prokop; Muhammad Rizwan; Mario Sainz; Svjetlana Salkičević; Ruta Sargautyte; Ivan Sarmány-Schuller; Susanne Schmehl; Shivantika Sharad; Razi Sultan Siddiqui; Franco Simonetti; Stanislava Yordanova Stoyanova; Meri Tadinac; Marco Antonio Correa Varella; Christin-Melanie Vauclair; Luis Diego Vega; Dwi Ajeng Widarini; Gyesook Yoo; Marta Zat’Ková; Maja Zupančič

doi:10.1177/0956797620904154

Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 Countries: A large-scale replication

Kathryn V. Walter, Daniel Conroy-Beam, David M. Buss, Kelly Asao, Agnieszka Sorokowska, Piotr Sorokowski, Toivo Aavik, Grace Akello, Mohammad Madallh Alhabahba, Charlotte Alm, Naumana Amjad, Afifa Anjum, Chiemezie S. Atama, Derya Atamtürk Duyar, Richard Ayebare, Carlota Batres, Mons Bendixen, Aicha Bensafia, Boris Bizumic, Mahmoud BoussenaMarina Butovskaya, Seda Can, Katarzyna Cantarero, Antonin Carrier, Hakan Cetinkaya, Ilona Croy, Rosa María Cueto, Marcin Czub, Daria Dronova, Seda Dural, Izzet Duyar, Berna Ertugrul, Agustín Espinosa, Ignacio Estevan, Carla Sofia Esteves, Luxi Fang, Tomasz Frackowiak, Jorge Contreras Garduño, Karina Ugalde González, Farida Guemaz, Petra Gyuris, Mária Halamová, Iskra Herak, Marina Horvat, Ivana Hromatko, Chin-Ming Hui, Jas Laile Jaafar, Feng Jiang, Konstantinos Kafetsios, Tina Kavčič, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, Nicolas Kervyn, Truong Thi Khanh Ha, Imran Ahmed Khilji, Nils C. Köbis, Hoang Moc Lan, András Láng, Georgina R. Lennard, Ernesto León, Torun Lindholm, Trinh Thi Linh, Giulia Lopez, Nguyen Van Luot, Alvaro Mailhos, Zoi Manesi, Rocio Martinez, Sarah L. Mckerchar, Norbert Meskó, Girishwar Misra, Conal Monaghan, Emanuel C. Mora, Alba Moya-Garófano, Bojan Musil, Jean Carlos Natividade, Agnieszka Niemczyk, George Nizharadze, Elisabeth Oberzaucher, Anna Oleszkiewicz, Mohd Sofian Omar-Fauzee, Ike E. Onyishi, Baris Özener, Ariela Francesca Pagani, Vilmante Pakalniskiene, Miriam Parise, Farid Pazhoohi, Annette Pisanski, Katarzyna Pisanski, Edna Ponciano, Camelia Popa, Pavol Prokop, Muhammad Rizwan, Mario Sainz, Svjetlana Salkičević, Ruta Sargautyte, Ivan Sarmány-Schuller, Susanne Schmehl, Shivantika Sharad, Razi Sultan Siddiqui, Franco Simonetti, Stanislava Yordanova Stoyanova, Meri Tadinac, Marco Antonio Correa Varella, Christin-Melanie Vauclair, Luis Diego Vega, Dwi Ajeng Widarini, Gyesook Yoo, Marta Zat’Ková, Maja Zupančič

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives-an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective-offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	408-423
Number of pages	16
Journal	Psychological Science
Volume	31
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620904154
Publication status	Published - 2020

Keywords

biosocial role theory
cross-cultural studies
evolutionary psychology
mate preferences
open data
preregistered
sex differences

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1177/0956797620904154

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Walter, K. V., Conroy-Beam, D., Buss, D. M., Asao, K., Sorokowska, A., Sorokowski, P., Aavik, T., Akello, G., Alhabahba, M. M., Alm, C., Amjad, N., Anjum, A., Atama, C. S., Atamtürk Duyar, D., Ayebare, R., Batres, C., Bendixen, M., Bensafia, A., Bizumic, B., ... Zupančič, M. (2020). Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 Countries: A large-scale replication. Psychological Science, 31, 408-423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620904154

@article{dc84dc942a8a4793992a382c461441dd,

title = "Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 Countries: A large-scale replication",

abstract = "Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives-an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective-offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries.",

keywords = "biosocial role theory, cross-cultural studies, evolutionary psychology, mate preferences, open data, preregistered, sex differences, biosocial role theory, cross-cultural studies, evolutionary psychology, mate preferences, open data, preregistered, sex differences",

author = "Walter, {Kathryn V.} and Daniel Conroy-Beam and Buss, {David M.} and Kelly Asao and Agnieszka Sorokowska and Piotr Sorokowski and Toivo Aavik and Grace Akello and Alhabahba, {Mohammad Madallh} and Charlotte Alm and Naumana Amjad and Afifa Anjum and Atama, {Chiemezie S.} and {Atamt{\"u}rk Duyar}, Derya and Richard Ayebare and Carlota Batres and Mons Bendixen and Aicha Bensafia and Boris Bizumic and Mahmoud Boussena and Marina Butovskaya and Seda Can and Katarzyna Cantarero and Antonin Carrier and Hakan Cetinkaya and Ilona Croy and Cueto, {Rosa Mar{\'i}a} and Marcin Czub and Daria Dronova and Seda Dural and Izzet Duyar and Berna Ertugrul and Agust{\'i}n Espinosa and Ignacio Estevan and Esteves, {Carla Sofia} and Luxi Fang and Tomasz Frackowiak and Gardu{\~n}o, {Jorge Contreras} and Gonz{\'a}lez, {Karina Ugalde} and Farida Guemaz and Petra Gyuris and M{\'a}ria Halamov{\'a} and Iskra Herak and Marina Horvat and Ivana Hromatko and Chin-Ming Hui and Jaafar, {Jas Laile} and Feng Jiang and Konstantinos Kafetsios and Tina Kav{\v c}i{\v c} and Kennair, {Leif Edward Ottesen} and Nicolas Kervyn and {Khanh Ha}, {Truong Thi} and Khilji, {Imran Ahmed} and K{\"o}bis, {Nils C.} and Lan, {Hoang Moc} and Andr{\'a}s L{\'a}ng and Lennard, {Georgina R.} and Ernesto Le{\'o}n and Torun Lindholm and Linh, {Trinh Thi} and Giulia Lopez and {Van Luot}, Nguyen and Alvaro Mailhos and Zoi Manesi and Rocio Martinez and Mckerchar, {Sarah L.} and Norbert Mesk{\'o} and Girishwar Misra and Conal Monaghan and Mora, {Emanuel C.} and Alba Moya-Gar{\'o}fano and Bojan Musil and Natividade, {Jean Carlos} and Agnieszka Niemczyk and George Nizharadze and Elisabeth Oberzaucher and Anna Oleszkiewicz and Omar-Fauzee, {Mohd Sofian} and Onyishi, {Ike E.} and Baris {\"O}zener and Pagani, {Ariela Francesca} and Vilmante Pakalniskiene and Miriam Parise and Farid Pazhoohi and Annette Pisanski and Katarzyna Pisanski and Edna Ponciano and Camelia Popa and Pavol Prokop and Muhammad Rizwan and Mario Sainz and Svjetlana Salki{\v c}evi{\'c} and Ruta Sargautyte and Ivan Sarm{\'a}ny-Schuller and Susanne Schmehl and Shivantika Sharad and Siddiqui, {Razi Sultan} and Franco Simonetti and Stoyanova, {Stanislava Yordanova} and Meri Tadinac and Varella, {Marco Antonio Correa} and Christin-Melanie Vauclair and Vega, {Luis Diego} and Widarini, {Dwi Ajeng} and Gyesook Yoo and Marta Zat{\textquoteright}Kov{\'a} and Maja Zupan{\v c}i{\v c}",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1177/0956797620904154",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

pages = "408--423",

journal = "Psychological Science",

issn = "0956-7976",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

}

Walter, KV, Conroy-Beam, D, Buss, DM, Asao, K, Sorokowska, A, Sorokowski, P, Aavik, T, Akello, G, Alhabahba, MM, Alm, C, Amjad, N, Anjum, A, Atama, CS, Atamtürk Duyar, D, Ayebare, R, Batres, C, Bendixen, M, Bensafia, A, Bizumic, B, Boussena, M, Butovskaya, M, Can, S, Cantarero, K, Carrier, A, Cetinkaya, H, Croy, I, Cueto, RM, Czub, M, Dronova, D, Dural, S, Duyar, I, Ertugrul, B, Espinosa, A, Estevan, I, Esteves, CS, Fang, L, Frackowiak, T, Garduño, JC, González, KU, Guemaz, F, Gyuris, P, Halamová, M, Herak, I, Horvat, M, Hromatko, I, Hui, C-M, Jaafar, JL, Jiang, F, Kafetsios, K, Kavčič, T, Kennair, LEO, Kervyn, N, Khanh Ha, TT, Khilji, IA, Köbis, NC, Lan, HM, Láng, A, Lennard, GR, León, E, Lindholm, T, Linh, TT, Lopez, G, Van Luot, N, Mailhos, A, Manesi, Z, Martinez, R, Mckerchar, SL, Meskó, N, Misra, G, Monaghan, C, Mora, EC, Moya-Garófano, A, Musil, B, Natividade, JC, Niemczyk, A, Nizharadze, G, Oberzaucher, E, Oleszkiewicz, A, Omar-Fauzee, MS, Onyishi, IE, Özener, B, Pagani, AF, Pakalniskiene, V, Parise, M, Pazhoohi, F, Pisanski, A, Pisanski, K, Ponciano, E, Popa, C, Prokop, P, Rizwan, M, Sainz, M, Salkičević, S, Sargautyte, R, Sarmány-Schuller, I, Schmehl, S, Sharad, S, Siddiqui, RS, Simonetti, F, Stoyanova, SY, Tadinac, M, Varella, MAC, Vauclair, C-M, Vega, LD, Widarini, DA, Yoo, G, Zat’Ková, M & Zupančič, M 2020, 'Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 Countries: A large-scale replication', Psychological Science, vol. 31, pp. 408-423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620904154

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 Countries: A large-scale replication

AU - Walter, Kathryn V.

AU - Conroy-Beam, Daniel

AU - Buss, David M.

AU - Asao, Kelly

AU - Sorokowska, Agnieszka

AU - Sorokowski, Piotr

AU - Aavik, Toivo

AU - Akello, Grace

AU - Alhabahba, Mohammad Madallh

AU - Alm, Charlotte

AU - Amjad, Naumana

AU - Anjum, Afifa

AU - Atama, Chiemezie S.

AU - Atamtürk Duyar, Derya

AU - Ayebare, Richard

AU - Batres, Carlota

AU - Bendixen, Mons

AU - Bensafia, Aicha

AU - Bizumic, Boris

AU - Boussena, Mahmoud

AU - Butovskaya, Marina

AU - Can, Seda

AU - Cantarero, Katarzyna

AU - Carrier, Antonin

AU - Cetinkaya, Hakan

AU - Croy, Ilona

AU - Cueto, Rosa María

AU - Czub, Marcin

AU - Dronova, Daria

AU - Dural, Seda

AU - Duyar, Izzet

AU - Ertugrul, Berna

AU - Espinosa, Agustín

AU - Estevan, Ignacio

AU - Esteves, Carla Sofia

AU - Fang, Luxi

AU - Frackowiak, Tomasz

AU - Garduño, Jorge Contreras

AU - González, Karina Ugalde

AU - Guemaz, Farida

AU - Gyuris, Petra

AU - Halamová, Mária

AU - Herak, Iskra

AU - Horvat, Marina

AU - Hromatko, Ivana

AU - Hui, Chin-Ming

AU - Jaafar, Jas Laile

AU - Jiang, Feng

AU - Kafetsios, Konstantinos

AU - Kavčič, Tina

AU - Kennair, Leif Edward Ottesen

AU - Kervyn, Nicolas

AU - Khanh Ha, Truong Thi

AU - Khilji, Imran Ahmed

AU - Köbis, Nils C.

AU - Lan, Hoang Moc

AU - Láng, András

AU - Lennard, Georgina R.

AU - León, Ernesto

AU - Lindholm, Torun

AU - Linh, Trinh Thi

AU - Lopez, Giulia

AU - Van Luot, Nguyen

AU - Mailhos, Alvaro

AU - Manesi, Zoi

AU - Martinez, Rocio

AU - Mckerchar, Sarah L.

AU - Meskó, Norbert

AU - Misra, Girishwar

AU - Monaghan, Conal

AU - Mora, Emanuel C.

AU - Moya-Garófano, Alba

AU - Musil, Bojan

AU - Natividade, Jean Carlos

AU - Niemczyk, Agnieszka

AU - Nizharadze, George

AU - Oberzaucher, Elisabeth

AU - Oleszkiewicz, Anna

AU - Omar-Fauzee, Mohd Sofian

AU - Onyishi, Ike E.

AU - Özener, Baris

AU - Pagani, Ariela Francesca

AU - Pakalniskiene, Vilmante

AU - Parise, Miriam

AU - Pazhoohi, Farid

AU - Pisanski, Annette

AU - Pisanski, Katarzyna

AU - Ponciano, Edna

AU - Popa, Camelia

AU - Prokop, Pavol

AU - Rizwan, Muhammad

AU - Sainz, Mario

AU - Salkičević, Svjetlana

AU - Sargautyte, Ruta

AU - Sarmány-Schuller, Ivan

AU - Schmehl, Susanne

AU - Sharad, Shivantika

AU - Siddiqui, Razi Sultan

AU - Simonetti, Franco

AU - Stoyanova, Stanislava Yordanova

AU - Tadinac, Meri

AU - Varella, Marco Antonio Correa

AU - Vauclair, Christin-Melanie

AU - Vega, Luis Diego

AU - Widarini, Dwi Ajeng

AU - Yoo, Gyesook

AU - Zat’Ková, Marta

AU - Zupančič, Maja

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives-an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective-offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries.

AB - Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives-an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective-offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries.

KW - biosocial role theory

KW - cross-cultural studies

KW - evolutionary psychology

KW - mate preferences

KW - open data

KW - preregistered

KW - sex differences

KW - biosocial role theory

KW - cross-cultural studies

KW - evolutionary psychology

KW - mate preferences

KW - open data

KW - preregistered

KW - sex differences

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/152550

U2 - 10.1177/0956797620904154

DO - 10.1177/0956797620904154

M3 - Article

SN - 0956-7976

VL - 31

SP - 408

EP - 423

JO - Psychological Science

JF - Psychological Science

ER -

Sex differences in mate preferences across 45 Countries: A large-scale replication

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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