ترجیحات همسر هندی: تداوم، تفاوت های جنسی و تغییرات فرهنگی در طول یک ربع قرن

Expressed mate preferences provide unique windows into evolved mating psychology. The current study used two research instruments—one ranking and one rating procedure—to examine mate preferences in India. We compared modern Indians (n = 536) with a more modest Indian sample studied a quarter of a century earlier (n = 105) to test the hypothesis that sex-specific mate preferences—as hypothesized by parental investment theory—would persist during this time period. Mate preferences for mutual attraction and love remained important and invariant over time, despite India’s history of arranged marriages. Sex differences in mate preferences for cues to fertility (youth, physical attractiveness) and resources (good financial prospects, social status) remained relatively invariant over time. Several changes in mate preferences emerged, including a greater preference for mates who are “creative and artistic,” “ambitious and industrious,” and “a good cook and housekeeper” for both sexes. Despite cultural changes in India over the past 25 years, evolved mate preferences have persisted during this time period. Discussion highlights limitations of this research.

Mate preferences are important in several contexts. First, mate preferences influence who is chosen and who is excluded from mating, influencing the direction of sexual selection (Darwin, 1871). Second, mate preferences determine which potential mates are considered to be high and low in mate value. Mate value, in turn, influences the desirability of the mate one can attract (Buss, 2003). Third, some mate preferences are produced by evolved psychological adaptations, solutions to adaptive problems such as choosing a mate who is fertile or who is willing and able to invest in offspring (Buss, 1989). Fourth, mate preferences influence which mate attraction tactics are effective—tactics that embody qualities desired by the individual someone is trying to attract (Buss and Shackelford, 1997 and Schmitt and Buss, 1996). Fifth, mate preferences provide a window into cultural values. When examined over time, changes in mate preferences can be used to assay the evolution of cultural values ( Buss et al., 2001 and Lei et al., 2011). For these reasons, the study of mate preferences is an important, ongoing endeavor.