Lecture 32:

Contextual Effects on Male Long-Term Mating Preferences

Overview of Male Long-Term Mating Preferences

• This lecture focuses on contextual effects affecting men's mating preferences.

• Emphasis on two areas of interest:

  • Personal mate value's variability in preferences.

  • Perception of mate availability and quality affecting preferences.

Personal Mate Value

• Definition: Mate value consists of various attributes contributing to an individual's overall attractiveness as a partner.

• Attributes influencing mate value include:

  • Resource-related attributes (e.g., wealth, social status).

  • Personal attributes (e.g., kindness, sharing).

  • Physical attributes (e.g., health, beauty).

• Men with higher wealth generally possess higher mate value.

Historical Data on Preferences

• Marriage Records: Studying historical marriage records from Germany(1700-1800) and Norway (1700-1900) provides insights into male preferences in mate selection.

• Key findings:

  • Men of higher social status tend to marry younger women.

  • A strong correlation exists between men's status and the age gap between husbands and wives.

Influence of Celebrities and Modern Nobility

• Kingship Concept: Historically, powerful men (kings, nobles) often marry young, beautiful women (princesses).

• Modern equivalents (celebrities) often show similar patterns in partner selection:

  • Examples of high-profile male celebrities marrying younger, often beautiful, women, reinforcing preference for youth and beauty.

  • Celebrity marriage examples:

  • Jerry Seinfeld (41) and his wife (20), age gap 21 years.

  • Michael Douglas (55) and Catherine Zeta Jones (30), age gap 25 years.

  • leonardo and vittoria have a 24 year old gap

Impact of Mate Value on Preferences

• High statuses correlate with increased preferences for younger partners:

  • As status increases, men increasingly select partners younger than themselves.

• A broader examination of celebrity relationships suggests a significant trend towards significant age gaps.

Availability of Mates

• Mate Availability Context: Availability and quality of potential partners influence men's preferences.

• Mate Budget study: Preferences may shift based on perceived availability:

  • In scenarios with low availability, men may become less demanding in preferences.

  • Conversely, with high availability, men might raise their standards for mate selection.

The Role of Media in Shaping Preferences

• Media exposes men to representations of women that typically embody excessive beauty and youth.

• These portrayals signal availability and desirability of such mates:

  • Men repeatedly seeing attractive imagery may increase standards and expectations for potential partners.

• Effects of seeing attractive women:

  • Leads to decreased attractiveness ratings of current partners.

  • Can cause decreased commitment to long-term relationships.

Research Evidence Supporting Theories

• Studies indicate:

• harem- group of women that a man w exceeding wealth keeps around for mating purposes.

• eg. moulay ismail the sultan of morroco in 1700 had 500 women in his harem and they had to leave at the age of 30. he had 800 children.

  • Viewing attractive women can lead to lowered satisfaction and commitment levels in existing relationships.

  • Men exposed to attractive models rate their typical dating pool as less attractive.

  • Attraction is significantly influenced by social context and media outputs.