What influences the choice of a partner?
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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It is obvious that men and women select partners for themselves, guided by different principles, and assessing by different criteria, but the nature of this choice is not quite clear.
The classic explanation for this "sample" is that the brain of both sexes has evolved.
During the history of the development of the human race, women and men faced the same problems: food production, protection from predators and other. According to psychologists, those spheres of life where the activities of the representatives of both sexes were the same, they will be similar, but as for breeding, here they have different approaches to adaptive solutions.
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that the preferences of women in choosing a partner are based on the desire to raise their child in good conditions and give him a good start to life. In order to ensure the appropriate conditions, the man chosen by the woman must be wealthy.
Men are usually guided by another principle of selection: for the continuation of the genus, he seeks a woman capable of reproducing offspring, evaluating her fertility by external signs, which can give an idea of the age and health of a potential partner.
However, in this case the theory of evolutionary psychologists is only part of the answer.
A new study published in the journal Psychological Science says that for "evolutionary success", a woman does not need to acquire offspring and family. British scientists suggest that the theory of evolutionary psychology will gradually be supplanted by another. This will happen as women and men compare their rights and responsibilities.
Researchers analyzed the results of an online survey of 3,177 respondents from ten countries. Participants completed a questionnaire, which indicated their evaluation criteria in the choice of a life partner. For example, whether the material security of a potential spouse is important, whether his or her culinary talents will be an advantage.
The results showed the following: according to the theory of evolutionary psychology, the most pronounced differences in the choice of a partner were seen in countries with the highest gender inequality index, and the lowest in countries where the participation of both sexes in different spheres of life is practically the same.
Since the gender equality index is gradually increasing, accordingly, differences in the selection of male and female partners for life are reduced.
This study challenges the theory of some evolutionary psychologists that gender differences between women and men are due to biological processes. In the modern world, an important factor for choosing a partner is the social aspect, because gender roles in society can change.