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Essay on The Affect Attachment During Childhood has on Mate Selection and Romantic Love
Researchers Buss and Schmidt interviewed 10,000 people around the world, asking them questions about their ideal mates. There are interesting differences in what people value when looking for a short term, versus long-term relationships. Going back to the list above, note which characteristics were most often desired by unmarried college students, and which were desired by married people. Look for differences between men and women.
Personal "ads" in the paper - look at the differences in the way men and women advertise for a relationship - the things they mention about themselves, and the things they seek in a partner. Evolutionary or "sexual strategies" theory can help explain what we are seeing. This theory presents an interesting a way of looking at how we pair up with other people that comes from looking at what has "worked" in our distant past as human beings. In particular, this theory looks at the strategies that men and women use for maximizing the chances that reproduction will occur successfully. Underscoring this theory is the assumption that human mating is inherently strategic - that is, there is a "plan" to it - even though the process isn't something we're conscious of. "Sexual dimorphism", might lead to different strategies used by males and females:
- Females are physically smaller
- Females have a more limited reproductive capacity than males
- Newborns need extensive care and protection, demanding time and resources
- Males have greater reproductive capacity, but
- Paternity is less evident than is maternity
This theory predicts that the sex that makes the greatest investment in pregnancy and child-rearing can afford to be "choosier" about a mate, looking especially for a mate that will bring resources and parenting skills into the relationship. This theory also predicts that strategies might also differ depending on whether person is looking for a "short term" relationship......
