Euclidean Mate Value and Power of Choice on the Mating Market. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Conroy-Beam, Daniel
• Is Part Of: Personality & social psychology bulletin. Volume 44:Number 2(2018)
• Page Start: 252
• Page End: 264
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: mate choice -- mate preferences -- assortative mating -- computer simulations -- evolutionary psychology; Personality -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1177/0146167217739262
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0146-1672

Abstract

Three studies tested the hypothesis that human mate choice psychology uses a Euclidean algorithm to integrate mate preferences into estimates of mate value. In Study 1, a series of agent-based models identify a pattern of results relatively unique to mating markets where individuals high in Euclidean mate value experience greater power of choice: strong preference fulfillment overall and correlations between mate value and (a) preference fulfillment, (b) ideal standards, and (c) partner mate value. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated that this pattern of results that emerges in human romantic relationships, is specific to mate value as a long-term partner, and is not accounted for by participant biases. These results suggest that human mate choice psychology uses a Euclidean algorithm to integrate mate preferences in mate choice, providing insight into the computational design of human mating psychology and validating this algorithm as a useful tool for future research.