Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios

Kathryn V. Walter; Daniel Conroy-Beam; David M. Buss; Kelly Asao; Agnieszka Sorokowska; Piotr Sorokowski; Toivo Aavik; Grace Akello; Mohammad Madallh Alhabahba; Charlotte Alm; Naumana Amjad; Afifa Anjum; Chiemezie S. Atama; Derya Atamtürk Duyar; Richard Ayebare; Carlota Batres; Mons Bendixen; Aicha Bensafia; Boris Bizumic; Mahmoud Boussena; Marina Butovskaya; Seda Can; Katarzyna Cantarero; Antonin Carrier; Hakan Cetinkaya; Ilona Croy; Rosa María Cueto; Marcin Czub; Daria Dronova; Seda Dural; Izzet Duyar; Berna Ertugrul; Agustín Espinosa; Ignacio Estevan; Carla Sofia Esteves; Luxi Fang; Tomasz Frackowiak; Jorge Contreras Garduño; Karina Ugalde González; Farida Guemaz; Petra Gyuris; Mária Halamová; Iskra Herak; Marina Horvat; Ivana Hromatko; Chin Ming Hui; Jas Laile Jaafar; Feng Jiang; Konstantinos Kafetsios; Tina Kavčič; Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair; Nicolas Kervyn; Truong Thi Khanh Ha; Imran Ahmed Khilji; Nils C. Köbis; Hoang Moc Lan; András Láng; Georgina R. Lennard; Ernesto León; Torun Lindholm; Trinh Thi Linh; Giulia Lopez; Nguyen Van Luot; Alvaro Mailhos; Zoi Manesi; Rocio Martinez; Sarah L. McKerchar; Norbert Meskó; Girishwar Misra; Conal Monaghan; Emanuel C. Mora; Alba Moya-Garófano; Bojan Musil; Jean Carlos Natividade; Agnieszka Niemczyk; George Nizharadze; Elisabeth Oberzaucher; Anna Oleszkiewicz; Mohd Sofian Omar-Fauzee; Ike E. Onyishi; Baris Özener; Ariela Francesca Pagani; Vilmante Pakalniskiene; Miriam Parise; Farid Pazhoohi; Annette Pisanski; Katarzyna Pisanski; Edna Ponciano; Camelia Popa; Pavol Prokop; Muhammad Rizwan; Mario Sainz; Svjetlana Salkičević; Ruta Sargautyte; Ivan Sarmány-Schuller; Susanne Schmehl; Shivantika Sharad; Razi Sultan Siddiqui; Franco Simonetti; Stanislava Yordanova Stoyanova; Meri Tadinac; Marco Antonio Correa Varella; Christin Melanie Vauclair; Luis Diego Vega; Dwi Ajeng Widarini; Gyesook Yoo; Marta Marta Zaťková; Maja Zupančič

doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.1115

Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios

Kathryn V. Walter^*, Daniel Conroy-Beam, David M. Buss, Kelly Asao, Agnieszka Sorokowska, Piotr Sorokowski, Toivo Aavik, Grace Akello, Mohammad Madallh Alhabahba, Charlotte Alm, Naumana Amjad, Afifa Anjum, Chiemezie S. Atama, Derya Atamtürk Duyar, Richard Ayebare, Carlota Batres, Mons Bendixen, Aicha Bensafia, Boris Bizumic, Mahmoud BoussenaMarina Butovskaya, Seda Can, Katarzyna Cantarero, Antonin Carrier, Hakan Cetinkaya, Ilona Croy, Rosa María Cueto, Marcin Czub, Daria Dronova, Seda Dural, Izzet Duyar, Berna Ertugrul, Agustín Espinosa, Ignacio Estevan, Carla Sofia Esteves, Luxi Fang, Tomasz Frackowiak, Jorge Contreras Garduño, Karina Ugalde González, Farida Guemaz, Petra Gyuris, Mária Halamová, Iskra Herak, Marina Horvat, Ivana Hromatko, Chin Ming Hui, Jas Laile Jaafar, Feng Jiang, Konstantinos Kafetsios, Tina Kavčič, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, Nicolas Kervyn, Truong Thi Khanh Ha, Imran Ahmed Khilji, Nils C. Köbis, Hoang Moc Lan, András Láng, Georgina R. Lennard, Ernesto León, Torun Lindholm, Trinh Thi Linh, Giulia Lopez, Nguyen Van Luot, Alvaro Mailhos, Zoi Manesi, Rocio Martinez, Sarah L. McKerchar, Norbert Meskó, Girishwar Misra, Conal Monaghan, Emanuel C. Mora, Alba Moya-Garófano, Bojan Musil, Jean Carlos Natividade, Agnieszka Niemczyk, George Nizharadze, Elisabeth Oberzaucher, Anna Oleszkiewicz, Mohd Sofian Omar-Fauzee, Ike E. Onyishi, Baris Özener, Ariela Francesca Pagani, Vilmante Pakalniskiene, Miriam Parise, Farid Pazhoohi, Annette Pisanski, Katarzyna Pisanski, Edna Ponciano, Camelia Popa, Pavol Prokop, Muhammad Rizwan, Mario Sainz, Svjetlana Salkičević, Ruta Sargautyte, Ivan Sarmány-Schuller, Susanne Schmehl, Shivantika Sharad, Razi Sultan Siddiqui, Franco Simonetti, Stanislava Yordanova Stoyanova, Meri Tadinac, Marco Antonio Correa Varella, Christin Melanie Vauclair, Luis Diego Vega, Dwi Ajeng Widarini, Gyesook Yoo, Marta Marta Zaťková, Maja Zupančič

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

A wide range of literature connects sex ratio and mating behaviours in non-human animals. However, research examining sex ratio and human mating is limited in scope. Prior work has examined the relationship between sex ratio and desire for short-term, uncommitted mating as well as outcomes such as marriage and divorce rates. Less empirical attention has been directed towards the relationship between sex ratio and mate preferences, despite the importance of mate preferences in the human mating literature. To address this gap, we examined sex ratio's relationship to the variation in preferences for attractiveness, resources, kindness, intelligence and health in a long-term mate across 45 countries (n = 14 487). We predicted that mate preferences would vary according to relative power of choice on the mating market, with increased power derived from having relatively few competitors and numerous potential mates. We found that each sex tended to report more demanding preferences for attractiveness and resources where the opposite sex was abundant, compared to where the opposite sex was scarce. This pattern dovetails with those found for mating strategies in humans and mate preferences across species, highlighting the importance of sex ratio for understanding variation in human mate preferences.

Original language	English
Article number	20211115
Number of pages	10
Journal	Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Volume	288
Issue number	1955
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1115
Publication status	Published - 28 Jul 2021

Keywords

Cross-cultural
Mate preferences
Mating market
Sex differences
Sex ratio

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37656144Final published version, 577 KBLicence: CC BY

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Walter, K. V., Conroy-Beam, D., Buss, D. M., Asao, K., Sorokowska, A., Sorokowski, P., Aavik, T., Akello, G., Alhabahba, M. M., Alm, C., Amjad, N., Anjum, A., Atama, C. S., Duyar, D. A., Ayebare, R., Batres, C., Bendixen, M., Bensafia, A., Bizumic, B., ... Zupančič, M. (2021). Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1955), Article 20211115. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1115

@article{ccfc2007f9b94496849f574978988420,

title = "Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios",

abstract = "A wide range of literature connects sex ratio and mating behaviours in non-human animals. However, research examining sex ratio and human mating is limited in scope. Prior work has examined the relationship between sex ratio and desire for short-term, uncommitted mating as well as outcomes such as marriage and divorce rates. Less empirical attention has been directed towards the relationship between sex ratio and mate preferences, despite the importance of mate preferences in the human mating literature. To address this gap, we examined sex ratio's relationship to the variation in preferences for attractiveness, resources, kindness, intelligence and health in a long-term mate across 45 countries (n = 14 487). We predicted that mate preferences would vary according to relative power of choice on the mating market, with increased power derived from having relatively few competitors and numerous potential mates. We found that each sex tended to report more demanding preferences for attractiveness and resources where the opposite sex was abundant, compared to where the opposite sex was scarce. This pattern dovetails with those found for mating strategies in humans and mate preferences across species, highlighting the importance of sex ratio for understanding variation in human mate preferences.",

keywords = "Cross-cultural, Mate preferences, Mating market, Sex differences, Sex ratio",

author = "Walter, \{Kathryn V.\} and Daniel Conroy-Beam and Buss, \{David M.\} and Kelly Asao and Agnieszka Sorokowska and Piotr Sorokowski and Toivo Aavik and Grace Akello and Alhabahba, \{Mohammad Madallh\} and Charlotte Alm and Naumana Amjad and Afifa Anjum and Atama, \{Chiemezie S.\} and Duyar, \{Derya Atamt{\"u}rk\} and Richard Ayebare and Carlota Batres and Mons Bendixen and Aicha Bensafia and Boris Bizumic and Mahmoud Boussena and Marina Butovskaya and Seda Can and Katarzyna Cantarero and Antonin Carrier and Hakan Cetinkaya and Ilona Croy and Cueto, \{Rosa Mar{\'i}a\} and Marcin Czub and Daria Dronova and Seda Dural and Izzet Duyar and Berna Ertugrul and Agust{\'i}n Espinosa and Ignacio Estevan and Esteves, \{Carla Sofia\} and Luxi Fang and Tomasz Frackowiak and Gardu{\~n}o, \{Jorge Contreras\} and Gonz{\'a}lez, \{Karina Ugalde\} and Farida Guemaz and Petra Gyuris and M{\'a}ria Halamov{\'a} and Iskra Herak and Marina Horvat and Ivana Hromatko and Hui, \{Chin Ming\} and Jaafar, \{Jas Laile\} and Feng Jiang and Konstantinos Kafetsios and Tina Kav{\v c}i{\v c} and \{Ottesen Kennair\}, \{Leif Edward\} and Nicolas Kervyn and \{Khanh Ha\}, \{Truong Thi\} and Khilji, \{Imran Ahmed\} and K{\"o}bis, \{Nils C.\} and Lan, \{Hoang Moc\} and Andr{\'a}s L{\'a}ng and Lennard, \{Georgina R.\} and Ernesto Le{\'o}n and Torun Lindholm and Linh, \{Trinh Thi\} and Giulia Lopez and Luot, \{Nguyen Van\} and Alvaro Mailhos and Zoi Manesi and Rocio Martinez and McKerchar, \{Sarah L.\} and Norbert Mesk{\'o} and Girishwar Misra and Conal Monaghan and Mora, \{Emanuel C.\} and Alba Moya-Gar{\'o}fano and Bojan Musil and Natividade, \{Jean Carlos\} and Agnieszka Niemczyk and George Nizharadze and Elisabeth Oberzaucher and Anna Oleszkiewicz and Omar-Fauzee, \{Mohd Sofian\} and Onyishi, \{Ike E.\} and Baris {\"O}zener and Pagani, \{Ariela Francesca\} and Vilmante Pakalniskiene and Miriam Parise and Farid Pazhoohi and Annette Pisanski and Katarzyna Pisanski and Edna Ponciano and Camelia Popa and Pavol Prokop and Muhammad Rizwan and Mario Sainz and Svjetlana Salki{\v c}evi{\'c} and Ruta Sargautyte and Ivan Sarm{\'a}ny-Schuller and Susanne Schmehl and Shivantika Sharad and Siddiqui, \{Razi Sultan\} and Franco Simonetti and Stoyanova, \{Stanislava Yordanova\} and Meri Tadinac and \{Correa Varella\}, \{Marco Antonio\} and Vauclair, \{Christin Melanie\} and Vega, \{Luis Diego\} and Widarini, \{Dwi Ajeng\} and Gyesook Yoo and Za{\v t}kov{\'a}, \{Marta Marta\} and Maja Zupan{\v c}i{\v c}",

year = "2021",

month = jul,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1098/rspb.2021.1115",

language = "English",

volume = "288",

journal = "Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences",

issn = "0962-8452",

publisher = "Royal Society Publishing",

number = "1955",

}

Walter, KV, Conroy-Beam, D, Buss, DM, Asao, K, Sorokowska, A, Sorokowski, P, Aavik, T, Akello, G, Alhabahba, MM, Alm, C, Amjad, N, Anjum, A, Atama, CS, Duyar, DA, Ayebare, R, Batres, C, Bendixen, M, Bensafia, A, Bizumic, B, Boussena, M, Butovskaya, M, Can, S, Cantarero, K, Carrier, A, Cetinkaya, H, Croy, I, Cueto, RM, Czub, M, Dronova, D, Dural, S, Duyar, I, Ertugrul, B, Espinosa, A, Estevan, I, Esteves, CS, Fang, L, Frackowiak, T, Garduño, JC, González, KU, Guemaz, F, Gyuris, P, Halamová, M, Herak, I, Horvat, M, Hromatko, I, Hui, CM, Jaafar, JL, Jiang, F, Kafetsios, K, Kavčič, T, Ottesen Kennair, LE, Kervyn, N, Khanh Ha, TT, Khilji, IA, Köbis, NC, Lan, HM, Láng, A, Lennard, GR, León, E, Lindholm, T, Linh, TT, Lopez, G, Luot, NV, Mailhos, A, Manesi, Z, Martinez, R, McKerchar, SL, Meskó, N, Misra, G, Monaghan, C, Mora, EC, Moya-Garófano, A, Musil, B, Natividade, JC, Niemczyk, A, Nizharadze, G, Oberzaucher, E, Oleszkiewicz, A, Omar-Fauzee, MS, Onyishi, IE, Özener, B, Pagani, AF, Pakalniskiene, V, Parise, M, Pazhoohi, F, Pisanski, A, Pisanski, K, Ponciano, E, Popa, C, Prokop, P, Rizwan, M, Sainz, M, Salkičević, S, Sargautyte, R, Sarmány-Schuller, I, Schmehl, S, Sharad, S, Siddiqui, RS, Simonetti, F, Stoyanova, SY, Tadinac, M, Correa Varella, MA, Vauclair, CM, Vega, LD, Widarini, DA, Yoo, G, Zaťková, MM & Zupančič, M 2021, 'Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios', Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, vol. 288, no. 1955, 20211115. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1115

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios

AU - Walter, Kathryn V.

AU - Conroy-Beam, Daniel

AU - Buss, David M.

AU - Asao, Kelly

AU - Sorokowska, Agnieszka

AU - Sorokowski, Piotr

AU - Aavik, Toivo

AU - Akello, Grace

AU - Alhabahba, Mohammad Madallh

AU - Alm, Charlotte

AU - Amjad, Naumana

AU - Anjum, Afifa

AU - Atama, Chiemezie S.

AU - Duyar, Derya Atamtürk

AU - Ayebare, Richard

AU - Batres, Carlota

AU - Bendixen, Mons

AU - Bensafia, Aicha

AU - Bizumic, Boris

AU - Boussena, Mahmoud

AU - Butovskaya, Marina

AU - Can, Seda

AU - Cantarero, Katarzyna

AU - Carrier, Antonin

AU - Cetinkaya, Hakan

AU - Croy, Ilona

AU - Cueto, Rosa María

AU - Czub, Marcin

AU - Dronova, Daria

AU - Dural, Seda

AU - Duyar, Izzet

AU - Ertugrul, Berna

AU - Espinosa, Agustín

AU - Estevan, Ignacio

AU - Esteves, Carla Sofia

AU - Fang, Luxi

AU - Frackowiak, Tomasz

AU - Garduño, Jorge Contreras

AU - González, Karina Ugalde

AU - Guemaz, Farida

AU - Gyuris, Petra

AU - Halamová, Mária

AU - Herak, Iskra

AU - Horvat, Marina

AU - Hromatko, Ivana

AU - Hui, Chin Ming

AU - Jaafar, Jas Laile

AU - Jiang, Feng

AU - Kafetsios, Konstantinos

AU - Kavčič, Tina

AU - Ottesen Kennair, Leif Edward

AU - Kervyn, Nicolas

AU - Khanh Ha, Truong Thi

AU - Khilji, Imran Ahmed

AU - Köbis, Nils C.

AU - Lan, Hoang Moc

AU - Láng, András

AU - Lennard, Georgina R.

AU - León, Ernesto

AU - Lindholm, Torun

AU - Linh, Trinh Thi

AU - Lopez, Giulia

AU - Luot, Nguyen Van

AU - Mailhos, Alvaro

AU - Manesi, Zoi

AU - Martinez, Rocio

AU - McKerchar, Sarah L.

AU - Meskó, Norbert

AU - Misra, Girishwar

AU - Monaghan, Conal

AU - Mora, Emanuel C.

AU - Moya-Garófano, Alba

AU - Musil, Bojan

AU - Natividade, Jean Carlos

AU - Niemczyk, Agnieszka

AU - Nizharadze, George

AU - Oberzaucher, Elisabeth

AU - Oleszkiewicz, Anna

AU - Omar-Fauzee, Mohd Sofian

AU - Onyishi, Ike E.

AU - Özener, Baris

AU - Pagani, Ariela Francesca

AU - Pakalniskiene, Vilmante

AU - Parise, Miriam

AU - Pazhoohi, Farid

AU - Pisanski, Annette

AU - Pisanski, Katarzyna

AU - Ponciano, Edna

AU - Popa, Camelia

AU - Prokop, Pavol

AU - Rizwan, Muhammad

AU - Sainz, Mario

AU - Salkičević, Svjetlana

AU - Sargautyte, Ruta

AU - Sarmány-Schuller, Ivan

AU - Schmehl, Susanne

AU - Sharad, Shivantika

AU - Siddiqui, Razi Sultan

AU - Simonetti, Franco

AU - Stoyanova, Stanislava Yordanova

AU - Tadinac, Meri

AU - Correa Varella, Marco Antonio

AU - Vauclair, Christin Melanie

AU - Vega, Luis Diego

AU - Widarini, Dwi Ajeng

AU - Yoo, Gyesook

AU - Zaťková, Marta Marta

AU - Zupančič, Maja

PY - 2021/7/28

Y1 - 2021/7/28

N2 - A wide range of literature connects sex ratio and mating behaviours in non-human animals. However, research examining sex ratio and human mating is limited in scope. Prior work has examined the relationship between sex ratio and desire for short-term, uncommitted mating as well as outcomes such as marriage and divorce rates. Less empirical attention has been directed towards the relationship between sex ratio and mate preferences, despite the importance of mate preferences in the human mating literature. To address this gap, we examined sex ratio's relationship to the variation in preferences for attractiveness, resources, kindness, intelligence and health in a long-term mate across 45 countries (n = 14 487). We predicted that mate preferences would vary according to relative power of choice on the mating market, with increased power derived from having relatively few competitors and numerous potential mates. We found that each sex tended to report more demanding preferences for attractiveness and resources where the opposite sex was abundant, compared to where the opposite sex was scarce. This pattern dovetails with those found for mating strategies in humans and mate preferences across species, highlighting the importance of sex ratio for understanding variation in human mate preferences.

AB - A wide range of literature connects sex ratio and mating behaviours in non-human animals. However, research examining sex ratio and human mating is limited in scope. Prior work has examined the relationship between sex ratio and desire for short-term, uncommitted mating as well as outcomes such as marriage and divorce rates. Less empirical attention has been directed towards the relationship between sex ratio and mate preferences, despite the importance of mate preferences in the human mating literature. To address this gap, we examined sex ratio's relationship to the variation in preferences for attractiveness, resources, kindness, intelligence and health in a long-term mate across 45 countries (n = 14 487). We predicted that mate preferences would vary according to relative power of choice on the mating market, with increased power derived from having relatively few competitors and numerous potential mates. We found that each sex tended to report more demanding preferences for attractiveness and resources where the opposite sex was abundant, compared to where the opposite sex was scarce. This pattern dovetails with those found for mating strategies in humans and mate preferences across species, highlighting the importance of sex ratio for understanding variation in human mate preferences.

KW - Cross-cultural

KW - Mate preferences

KW - Mating market

KW - Sex differences

KW - Sex ratio

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85112007168&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2021.1115

DO - 10.1098/rspb.2021.1115

M3 - Article

C2 - 34284630

SN - 0962-8452

VL - 288

JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

IS - 1955

M1 - 20211115

ER -

Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios

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Sex differences in human mate preferences vary across sex ratios

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