Men's Longterm Mating Preferences Flashcards
Define reproductive fitness
The ability to make babies
What are some cues of reproductive fitness?
Youth and attractiveness
Define reproductive value
The number of babies you are able to have given your current age
What is the peak reproductive age for women?
17-20
What is a quantitative representation of reproductive fitness?
The reproductive value
What is fertility?
The number and quality of your offspring
What is the peak fertility age for women?
~20
What determines a woman’s peak fertility age?
When she ovulates the most and when she produces the greatest quality offspring
What is youth an indicator of?
Reproductive value and fertility
How old do men prefer their women to be? Are there any cross-cultural differences?
~2 years younger, Eastern countries prefer even younger
How old do women prefer their men to be? Are there any cross-cultural differences?
~2 years older, Easter countries prefer even older
What happens to homicide rates with an increased age gap between mates?
Homicide rates increase
What happens to preferred female mate age as men age?
They will mate women that are much older or much younger than them
Why don’t older men go for 25-year-olds?
They know they won’t get them, cultural norms
What is the control hypothesis?
Men want younger wives because they are easier to control
How was the control hypothesis disproven?
Teenage boys wanted women that were older than them by ~4-6 years
What does facial beauty cue?
The ability to bear many healthy children
What are three indicators of fertility?
Behaviour, facial beauty, physique
How is facial beauty described in Western culture? What are the differences in Eastern cultures?
Smooth skin, an absence of sores, sound teeth, full lips, strong hair, there is no difference cross-culturally
What do full lips indicate?
Estrogen
What does healthy hair cue?
A record of good health
What does light hair cue?
Youth
What might poor hair quality signal?
Recently given birth
What is the ideal skin presentation?
Light with rosy cheeks and unblemished
What does pitted/scarred skin indicate?
Poor health, the presence of hormones unpreferred for reproduction and healing
What does a feminine face look like?
Large eyes/lips, thin jaw, small nose, little distance between lips and chin
What happens to female jaw width with age?
It widens
What does facial femininity indicate?
An optimal sperm environment (pH) and increased likelihood of getting/staying pregnant
What was the agreement rate when different races rated many faces of different races?
There was a 0.93 agreement rate
What is the nucleus accumbens associated with?
Feelings of pleasure
What happens to the NA when men look at pictures of beautiful women?
It is activated more (feelings of actual pleasure)
What is reproductive success?
Actually having healthy babies
What is the ideal body fat %?
It varies across time and place
When might a greater %BF be preferred?
In cultures that experience famine
What does %BF indicate in cultures where famine is unlikely?
Lower %BF indicates wealth
What may %BF indicate in the extremes?
Reproductive success, anorexia = amenorrhea, obese = undesirable hormones
What is the ideal waist: hip?
0.7
What is the difference in SES preference for %BF?
Higher SES prefer lower %BF (BMI ~20) and lower SES prefer higher %BF (BMI ~25)
What may waist: hip cue?
Age (pre-puberty-menopause differences), femininity, fertility (optimal hormone profile)
What happens to estrogen when the waist: hip is 0.7?
It is greater by ~26%
How is W: H typically determined?
By genetics and hormones
How does W: H cue health?
It indicates a better sperm environment (pH), and the ability to get/stay pregnant
What health correlates have been associated with a more masculine W: H?
Increased rates of death, CVD, HTN, cancer, depression, anxiety
What was discovered with regards to W: H and attentional bias?
Men were more likely to look at women with a W: H of 0.7
What was discovered with regards to line drawings and W: H and %BF?
The line drawings with a W: H of 0.7 were always preferred, there was a preference for normal body weight
What was discovered when dummies with different W: H were rated on attractiveness by touch only?
The dummies with W: H of 0.7 were rated the most attractive
When women underwent surgery that changes their W: H ratio to 0.7 but also increased their BMI, what were the results of their attractiveness ratings?
They increased
What is the better indicator of men’s long-term physique preferences?
W: H
What are the benefits of commitment?
Sexual access, better quality mates, survival of the offspring, coalition building, increased paternity certainty
What are the benefits of knowing when women are ovulating?
Increased likelihood of successful fertilization, efficient use of timing and resources
What cues can be used to detect ovulation?
Skin (lightning/vascularization), body odour/composition, behavioural cues
What happens to a woman’s sexual desire when she is ovulating? How may this be noticeable to men?
It increases, she may flirt more
What is the difference between mated and unmated women’s sexual desires when they are ovulating?
Mated women’s sexual desire increases more
How does marriage increase the certainty of paternity?
Social traditions, ease of mate-guarding, ease of cheating detection, consistent sexual access
What are character traits in women seen as the most and least desirable?
Faithfulness and unfaithfulness
What type of cultures has a preference for chaste brides?
Male dominant ones
Why is a chaste bride desirable?
There is 100% confidence she is not pregnant
Why might increased gender equality decrease the amount a desire for a chaste bride?
Women are better able to dictate what the man can want
What is a good indicator of fidelity?
Low premarital promiscuity
Is promiscuity in a woman a turn on or turn off for men?
It is a turn off for LT mating but a turn on for ST mating
What are the downsides of being cheated on?
Reproduction, inefficient use of resources, reputation
What may be a sign that you are being cheated on?
Jealousy
What were the results when men and women were asked if sexual or emotional cheating was more upsetting?
Men found sexual more upsetting and women found emotional more upsetting
What were the physiological responses when men were asked to imagine their mate sexually or emotionally cheating on them?
There was a greater response to sexual cheating
What happens to the sperm of men that are concerned about cheating?
They produce more blocker sperm/stronger and healthier sperm
Who produced more sperm when ejaculating, men who spent more or less time with their women?
Men who spent less time with their woman
What was the effect of showing men pictures of faithful and unfaithful women?
When men were shown unfaithful women they produced more sperm
