Adult Attachment and Long-term Mate Preferences in Iran

What Do Different People Look for in a Partner? Effects of Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Mating Strategies on Partner Preferences

Partner preferences are an important differential in relationship formation and evolutionary fitness, and vary according to individual, ecological, and social factors. In this study, we evaluated the variation in preference for intelligence, kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and socioeconomic level among individuals of different sexes and sexual orientations in a Brazilian sample. We analyzed the preference scores of 778 heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual men and women in three budgeted mate design tasks (low vs. medium vs. high budget) and their association with sociosexuality, attachment styles, homogamy, and willingness to engage in short- and long-term relationships. Results indicated a global trait preference order, with intelligence ranking first, followed by kindness, physical attractiveness, health, and lastly by socioeconomic status. Typical sex differences were observed mostly within the heterosexual group, and specific combinations of sex and sexual orientation were linked to variation in preference for physical attractiveness, kindness, and socioeconomic status. We also found unique associations of the other variables with partner preferences and with willingness to engage in short- or long-term relationships. By exploring the partner preferences of non-heterosexual individuals from a Latin American country, an underrepresented group in evolutionary psychology research, our results help understand the universal and specific factors that guide partner preferences and human sexual behavior.

What potential traits do adolescents and early adults look for in mate preferences?

There are universal sex differences in mate preferences. Mostly, women will prioritize greater financial prospects, but men will emphasize physical attractiveness. However, we know little about whether these preferences remain stable in adolescence and early adulthood. The study examines whether these universal differences between men and women in mate preferences can be found in Bangladesh and whether these differences are constant among adolescents and early adults. An online survey was conducted by using a structured close-ended questionnaire to collect data from males and females who were aged no more than 30, yet to be married, had at least a secondary education, and belonged to any religious faith. A total of 2017 people, 1059 males and 958 females, participated in the survey. Independent Samples t-tests were estimated to compare the mean scores of the traits of interest, while Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensions to outline the possible factors that affect mate preferences. The results show that women of Bangladesh prioritize greater financial prospects, whereas men emphasize traits related to fertility and reproduction. However, unlike the universal trend, having a similar religious background is among the top-two priorities of both males and females. Factor-wise differentiation indicates that, compared with males, females emphasize attachment and sociability. In addition, adolescent females put greater emphasis on refinement and neatness, mutual attraction-love, and desire for home and children than early adult females. Compared with adolescent males, early adult males were found emphasizing more on having kind and understanding mates. Therefore, results support universal sex differences, but religion, culturally-defined gender roles, and social environment also affect mate preferences; sometimes people require making some trade-offs between preferences depending on the sociocultural context.