bims-chumac Biomed News
on Context effects on human mate choice
Issue of 2021–07–18
six papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society
  1. We're Not That Choosy: Emerging Evidence of a Progression Bias in Romantic Relationships.
  2. Political Party Identification and Romantic Relationship Quality.
  3. Social Withdrawal and Romantic Relationships: A Longitudinal Study in Early Adulthood.
  4. Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Self-Change in Close Relationships: Evidence From Hong Kong Chinese and European Americans.
  5. Effects of Masks Worn to Protect Against COVID-19 on the Perception of Facial Attractiveness.
  6. Short-term mating orientation as a predictor of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior.
  1. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2021 Jul 10. 10888683211025860
    We're Not That Choosy: Emerging Evidence of a Progression Bias in Romantic Relationships.
    Samantha Joel, Geoff MacDonald.
      Dating is widely thought of as a test phase for romantic relationships, during which new romantic partners carefully evaluate each other for long-term fit. However, this cultural narrative assumes that people are well equipped to reject poorly suited partners. In this article, we argue that humans are biased toward pro-relationship decisions-decisions that favor the initiation, advancement, and maintenance of romantic relationships. We first review evidence for a progression bias in the context of relationship initiation, investment, and breakup decisions. We next consider possible theoretical underpinnings-both evolutionary and cultural-that may explain why getting into a relationship is often easier than getting out of one, and why being in a less desirable relationship is often preferred over being in no relationship at all. We discuss potential boundary conditions that the phenomenon may have, as well as its implications for existing theoretical models of mate selection and relationship development.
    Keywords:  compatibility; decision-making; mate selection; romantic relationships
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/10888683211025860
  2. Couple Family Psychol. 2020 Sep;9(3): 167-180
    Political Party Identification and Romantic Relationship Quality.
    Troy L Fangmeier, Scott M Stanley, Kayla Knopp, Galena K Rhoades.
      Although there are studies on voting similarity in mate selection, very little research has examined party identification and relationship quality. We assessed associations between reports of personal and partner voting behavior (Democrat, Republican, or Independent) and both relationship adjustment and commitment to one's partner. We used a national (U.S.) sample of individuals (N = 510) in their 20s and 30s who were mostly in different-sex, serious relationships (Mdn duration = 5.25 years; 50% married). Controlling for age, college graduation, income, religiosity, minority status, and duration of relationship, voting Republican was associated with higher levels of commitment compared to voting Democrat. Similarly, being partnered with someone voting Republican was associated with higher relationship adjustment and commitment compared to being partnered with someone voting Democrat. Notably, differences in commitment were found only among those who were not already married or engaged. Findings were largely consistent with numerous online reports of survey data that have shown modestly greater relationship quality among those who report being politically conservative. While research has shown that people are less attracted to those who vote differently and that voting differently can be associated with lower relationship quality, we did not generally find perceived voting similarity to be associated with relationship adjustment or commitment. There was one exception: In exploratory analyses, Republicans paired with Democrats tended to report substantially lower relationship adjustment than if paired with Republicans. Implications for political differences among intimate partners and clinical work around these themes are discussed.
    Keywords:  Relationship quality; marriage; politics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000141
  3. J Youth Adolesc. 2021 Jul 12.
    Social Withdrawal and Romantic Relationships: A Longitudinal Study in Early Adulthood.
    Stefania A Barzeva, Jennifer S Richards, Wim H J Meeus, Albertine J Oldehinkel.
      Involvement in romantic relationships is a salient developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood, and deviations from normative romantic development are linked to adverse outcomes. This study investigated to what extent social withdrawal contributed to deviations from normative romantic development, and vice versa, and the interplay between withdrawal and couples' relationship perceptions. The sample included 1710 young adults (55-61% female) from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey cohort and their romantic partners. Data were collected across 4 waves, covering romantic relationships from ages 17 to 29 years. The results showed that higher withdrawal predicted a higher likelihood of romantic non-involvement by adulthood, consistently being single at subsequent waves, and entering one's first relationship when older. Withdrawal moderately decreased when youth entered their first relationship. Male's withdrawal in particular affected romantic relationship qualities and dynamics. These results provide new insights into the developmental sequelae of withdrawn young adults' romantic relationship development.
    Keywords:  Dating; Early adulthood; Late adolescence; Longitudinal; Relationship quality; Romantic relationships; Social withdrawal
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01469-1
  4. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2021 Jul 10. 1461672211026129
    Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Self-Change in Close Relationships: Evidence From Hong Kong Chinese and European Americans.
    Minjoo Joo, Ben C P Lam, Susan E Cross, Sylvia Xiaohua Chen, Victor C Y Lau, Hilary K Y Ng, Ceren Günsoy.
      Three studies examined cultural perceptions of self-change in romantic relationships. In Study 1 (N = 191), Chinese participants perceived hypothetical couples who changed for the sake of the relationship to have better relationship quality than couples who did not, compared to European American participants. In Study 2 (N = 396), Chinese individuals in a dating relationship were more likely to perceive that they had changed in the relationship, and self-change was a stronger predictor of relationship quality for them than for American dating individuals. In Study 3 (N = 115 dyads), Chinese married couples perceived greater self-change, and their perceived self-change was due in part to higher endorsement of dutiful adjustment beliefs than American couples. Self-change was a stronger predictor of relationship quality for Chinese married couples than American couples. Our studies provide support for cultural differences in the role of self-change in romantic relationships, which have implications for partner regulation and relationship counseling across cultures.
    Keywords:  culture; relationship adjustment; romantic relationships; self-change
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211026129
  5. Iperception. 2021 May-Jun;12(3):12(3): 20416695211027920
    Effects of Masks Worn to Protect Against COVID-19 on the Perception of Facial Attractiveness.
    Miki Kamatani, Motohiro Ito, Yuki Miyazaki, Jun I Kawahara.
      Wearing a sanitary mask tended, in the main, to reduce the wearer's sense of perceived facial attractiveness before the COVID-19 epidemic. This phenomenon, termed the sanitary-mask effect, was explained using a two-factor model involving the occlusion of cues used for the judgment of attractiveness and unhealthiness priming (e.g., presumed illness). However, these data were collected during the pre-COVID-19 period. Thus, in this study, we examined whether the COVID-19 epidemic changed the perceived attractiveness and healthiness when viewing faces with and without sanitary masks. We also used questionnaires to evaluate beliefs regarding mask wearers. We found that the perception of mask-worn faces differed before versus after the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. Specifically, mask-wearing improved wearers' sense of the attractiveness of faces, which were rated as less attractive when a mask was not worn after the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. Furthermore, mask-worn faces were rated as healthier after the onset of the COVID-19. The proportion of respondents with negative associations regarding mask-wearing (e.g., unhealthiness) decreased relative to before the epidemic. We suggest that the weakening of this association altered the sanitary-mask effect with a relative emphasis on the occlusion component, reflecting the temporal impact of a global social incident (the COVID-19 epidemic) on the perception of facial attractiveness.
    Keywords:  COVID-19; facial attractiveness; healthiness; sanitary mask
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/20416695211027920
  6. J Am Coll Health. 2021 Jul 09. 1-6
    Short-term mating orientation as a predictor of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior.
    Susanna V Lopez, Jaimie Arona Krems, Delaney S Dunn, Emily Warner, Thad R Leffingwell.
       OBJECTIVES: Sexual Strategies Theory suggests people fall on a continuum between having short-term mating orientation (STMO) and long-term mating orientation. One way STMO individuals signal mating goals is via risky drinking. The current study therefore aims to investigate drinks per week (DPW) as a mediator between STMO and risky sexual behavior (RSB), with gender as a moderator between STMO and DPW.
    PARTICIPANTS: Undergraduate students (N = 300) from a Midwestern university during Fall 2019.
    METHOD: Participants completed questionnaires assessing STMO, DPW, and RSB frequency.
    RESULTS: A moderated-mediation model indicated DPW significantly mediated the relationship between STMO and RSB. Positive associations were found among all three variables. Gender was not a moderator between STMO and DPW.
    CONCLUSIONS: Mating orientation was a correlate of alcohol use and RSB for women and men, contributing to the literature identifying STMO as an indicator of those in need of substance use and RSB intervention.
    Keywords:  Alcohol; college students; mating strategies; risky sexual behavior
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1947836
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