Social power and long term mate preferences

Abstract

How does power affect the characteristics sought in a long term mate? Similarities and differences in men's and women's mate preferences have been extensively studied. Men have been found to desire physical attractiveness and youth in mates whereas women desire mates with resources and good earning capacity. Individual characteristics such as one's own physical attractiveness and socioeconomic status affect one's mate preferences. Yet little research has explored the ways in which an individual's social power may influence mate preferences. Based on social learning theory, social power and gender were expected to influence an individual's mate preferences. An experiment was conducted to test whether priming heterosexual participants towards a power orientation would influence mate preferences. Results provided partial support for hypotheses. Although power had no effect on mate preferences, gender accounted for a small percentage of variance in preferences for physical attractiveness and potential earning capacity in a long term mate. v