Sex Differences in Mate Preferences Across 45 Countries

A Large-Scale Replication

Bibliographic Data

ID23317641
AuthorsKathryn V Walter (0000-0002-4574-2900, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, corresponding author), Daniel Conroy-Beam (Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara), Daniel Conroy‐Beam (0000-0003-3701-0870, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara), David M Bu (0000-0002-4467-7019, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin), David M Buss (Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin), Kelly Asao (0000-0002-1202-7177, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin), Agnieszka Sorokowska (0000-0003-3999-8851, University of Wrocław), P Sorokowski (0000-0001-9225-9965, University of Opole), Toivo Aavik (0000-0003-1620-0245, University of Tartu), Grace Akello (0000-0002-1228-013X, Gulu University), Mohammad Madallh Alhabahba (0000-0002-4269-8457, Middle East University), Charlotte Alm (0000-0002-9116-4777, Stockholm University), Naumana Amjad (0000-0001-6823-5330, University of the Punjab), Afifa Anjum (0000-0002-8976-3076, University of the Punjab), Chiemezie S Atama (0000-0002-3055-4704, University of Nigeria), Derya Atamtürk Duyar (Istanbul University), Derya Atamturk (0000-0002-4819-7768, Istanbul University), Richard Ayebare (North Star Alliance, Kampala, Uganda), Carlota Batres (0000-0002-3833-7667, Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College), Mons Bendixen (0000-0002-5064-6956, Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Aicha Bensafia (Laboratory Education-Formation-Travail (EFORT), Department of Sociology, University of Algiers), Boris Bizumic (0000-0003-2574-4893, Australian National University), Mahmoud Boussena (0000-0003-0150-7631, Laboratory EFORT, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Algiers), Butovskaya М (0000-0002-5528-0519, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences), Marina Butovskaya (Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences), Seda Can (0000-0001-5328-6602, İzmir University of Economics), Katarzyna Cantarero (0000-0003-2720-484X, Social Behavior Research Center, Faculty in Wroclaw, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities), Antonin Carrier (0000-0001-5921-0887, UCLouvain), Hakan Cetinkaya (0000-0001-5585-8678, Ankara University), Ilona Croy (0000-0002-0361-5559, Technische Universität Dresden), Rosa María Cueto (0000-0003-3549-2001, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), Marcin Czub (0000-0003-0184-8284, University of Wrocław), Daria Dronova (0000-0002-2735-6248, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences), Seda Dural (0000-0002-7606-2617, İzmir University of Economics), Izzet Duyar (0000-0002-4578-0528, Istanbul University), Berna Ertuğrul (0000-0002-4966-601X, Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi), A Espinosa (0000-0002-2275-5792, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), Ignacio Estevan (0000-0003-4743-1310, Universidad de la República de Uruguay), Carla Sofia Esteves (0000-0002-7307-8373, Instituto Superior de Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (CIS-IUL)), Luxi Fang (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Tomasz Frackowiak (0000-0002-0244-2879, University of Wrocław), Jorge Contreras Garduño (Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Unidad Morelia), Karina Ugalde González (0000-0002-2626-3947, Latin University of Costa Rica), Farida Guemaz (0009-0006-4278-6840, Laboratory EFORT, Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Setif), Petra Gyuris (University of Pecs), Mária Haľamová (Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Department of Psychological Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University), Iskra Herak (0000-0001-7676-796X, Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organisations, Université Catholique de Louvain), Marina Horvat (0000-0001-7226-2024, University of Maribor), Ivana Hromatko (0000-0002-3837-1929, University of Zagreb), Chin Ming Hui (0000-0002-8265-8353, Chinese University of Hong Kong), Chin-Ming Hui (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Jas Laile Jaafar (0000-0003-2419-1051, University of Malaya), Feng Jiang (0000-0001-7369-9498, Organization and Human Resource Management, Central University of Finance and Economics), K Kafetsios (0000-0001-5933-4409, University of Crete), Tina Kavčič (0000-0002-9783-8541, University of Primorska), Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair (0000-0002-2713-7096, Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Nicolas O Kervyn (0000-0001-9056-6283, UCLouvain), Nicolas Kervyn (Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organisations, Université Catholique de Louvain), Truong Thi Khanh Ha (0000-0003-3940-8399, Department of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Imran Ahmed Khilji (Department of Psychology, Islamabad Model College for Boys, F-10/4, Islamabad), Nils C Köbis (University of Amsterdam), Nils Köbis (0000-0002-0608-7333, University of Amsterdam), Hoang Moc Lan (Department of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), András Láng (0000-0002-1209-3350, University of Pecs), Georgina R Lennard (Australian National University), Ernesto De León (0000-0003-3152-0722, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), Ernesto León (0000-0003-4950-0498, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), Torun Lindholm (0000-0002-8867-5752, Stockholm University), Trinh Thi Linh (0000-0002-4722-9852, Department of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Giulia Lopez (0000-0002-9188-0650, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), Nguyen Van Luot (0000-0002-0504-6345, Department of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Alvaro Mailhos (0000-0001-7333-7817, Universidad de la República de Uruguay), Zoi Manesi (0000-0001-5997-1053, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Rocio Martinez (0000-0002-3020-0172, Universidad de Granada), Sarah L Mckerchar (Australian National University), Norbert Mesko (0000-0002-4355-9563, University of Pecs), Girishwar Misra (University of Delhi), Conal Monaghan (0000-0003-2949-5038, Australian National University), Emanuel C Mora (0000-0002-0435-6878, University of Havana), Alba Moya-Garófano (0000-0002-2593-7006, Universidad de Granada), Bojan Musil (0000-0002-5198-018X, University of Maribor), J C Natividade (0000-0002-3264-9352, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro), Agnieszka Niemczyk (University of Wrocław), George Nizharadze (Free University of Tbilisi), Elisabeth Oberzaucher (0000-0003-0083-3160, University of Vienna), Anna Oleszkiewicz (0000-0003-2217-1858, University of Wrocław), Mohd Sofian Omar Fauzee (0000-0002-6841-9647, Northern University of Malaysia), Mohd Sofian Omar-Fauzee (Northern University of Malaysia), Ike E Onyishi (0000-0003-0908-6413, University of Nigeria), Baris Özener (0000-0003-2986-9052, Istanbul University), Ariela F Pagani (0000-0002-7149-9350, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), Vilmante Pakalniskiene (0000-0002-8042-2910, Vilnius University), Miriam Parise (0000-0003-2150-6636, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), Farid Pazhoohi (0000-0002-9184-5361, University of British Columbia), Annette Pisanski (0000-0003-0627-1664, University of Havana), Katarzyna Pisanski (0000-0003-0992-2477, University of Wrocław), Edna Lúcia Tinoco Ponciano (0000-0002-8606-1095, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Psychology), Edna Ponciano (Institute of Psychology, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro), Camelia Popa (0000-0003-1886-2218, Department of Psychology, Faculty for Humanities and Social Sciences, Universitatea Nationala de Arta Teatrala si Cinematografica-Centrul Internațional de Cercetare şi Educație în Tehnologii Inovativ Creative (UNATC-CINETIc), Romanian Academy), Pavol Prokop (0000-0003-2016-7468, Department of Environmental Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University), Muhammad Rizwan (0000-0002-5332-9980, Delve Business Network, Islamabad, Pakistan), Mario Sainz (0000-0002-2048-5872, University of Monterrey), Svjetlana Salkičević (0000-0003-1514-2805, University of Zagreb), Rūta Sargautytė (0000-0002-4555-4889, Vilnius University), Ivan Sarmány-Schuller (0000-0002-1640-2229, Slovak Academy of Sciences), Susanne Schmehl (University of Vienna), Shivantika Sharad (0000-0002-5562-9936, University of Delhi), Razi Sultan Siddiqui (0000-0002-6691-0299, DHA Suffa University), Franco Simonetti (0000-0001-5197-6896, School of Psychology, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile), Stanislava Stoyanova (0000-0002-8873-9285, South-West University "Neofit Rilski"), Stanislava Yordanova Stoyanova (South-West University "Neofit Rilski"), Meri Tadinac (0000-0002-3770-9000, University of Zagreb), M A C Varella (0000-0002-7274-7360, Universidade de São Paulo), Christin-Melanie Vauclair (0000-0002-4940-1185, Instituto Superior de Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (CIS-IUL)), Luis Diego Vega (0000-0003-3791-8440, Latin University of Costa Rica), Dwi Ajeng Widarini (Faculty of Communication, University Prof. Dr Moestopo (Beragama), Jakarta, 10270, Indonesia), Gyesook Yoo (0000-0002-2175-5512, Kyung Hee University), Marta Zat’ková (Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Department of Psychological Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University), Maja Zupančič (0000-0002-2084-9509, University of Ljubljana)
Year2020
Volume31
Issue4
Pages408-423
Publication date2020-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0956-7976 • E-ISSN: 1467-9280
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0956797620904154
PMID32196435
OpenAlexW3011838269
LanguageEN
Citations received108
References cited21

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.

Attractiveness · Biology · Biosocial theory · Developmental psychology · Evolutionary psychology · Personality · Perspective (graphical) · Replication (statistics) · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Psychology · Social Psychology

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