Transcript Buss 1990. International Preferences in Selecting Mates

BUSS 1990. INTERNATIONAL
PREFERENCES IN SELECTING MATES
– A STUDY OF 37 CULTURES.
BACKGROUND:
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Evolutionary psychologists suggest that men and women use
different strategies to select a suitable mate. If this is true,
then there should be a universal difference between men and
women in how they select mates.
BUSS 1990. INTERNATIONAL
PREFERENCES IN SELECTING MATES
– A STUDY OF 37 CULTURES.
AIM:
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This study was designed to investigate whether there are any
universal differences between male and female partner
preferences.
BUSS 1990. INTERNATIONAL
PREFERENCES IN SELECTING MATES
– A STUDY OF 37 CULTURES.
PROCEDURE:
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9474 people from 33 countries on six continents and six islands
were sampled to participate in this study. A questionnaire was
constructed. It was then translated into the different native
languages. The questionnaire contained one section where
respondents were asked to rate 18 characteristics, e.g.
dependability, chastity, good health, on how important or
desirable it would be in choosing a mate.
Rating was done on a four-point scale from 0 (unimportant) to 3
(indispensible). In another section respondents were asked to
rank 13 characteristics on its desirability in a mate.
Rank 1 was to be given to the most desirable, and 13 to the
least desirable characteristic. There were items like religious,
kind and understanding, good earning capacity, and physically
attractive.
BUSS 1990. INTERNATIONAL
PREFERENCES IN SELECTING MATES
– A STUDY OF 37 CULTURES.
RESULTS:
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As the researchers made a statistical analysis of the results
they found that there were some cultural differences. African
responses revealed more sex difference in responses, and gave
more importance to religion, chastity, and less importance to
mutual attraction and physical appearance. Asians put a
higher value on health, chastity and, domestic skills in
potential mates than did the average respondent.
However, overall the responses were very similar in different
cultures.
BUSS 1990. INTERNATIONAL
PREFERENCES IN SELECTING MATES
– A STUDY OF 37 CULTURES.
DISCUSSION:
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Another finding was that there were sex differences in nearly
all countries. Males preferred mates who are physically
attractive more than females.
Females on the other hand preferred mates who show
ambition-industriousness and other signs of earning potential
more than males did.
As mentioned above the differences between the sexes differed
between countries, they were larger in countries that practice
polygamy.
Buss concluded that there are indeed universal sex-differences
in mate selection, and that this gives support for evolutionary
theory of human mate selection.
EAGLY AND WOOD (1999). THE
ORIGINS OF SEX DIFFERENCES IN
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR.
Criticism from the socio-cultural level of analysis:
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Claimed that Buss had made invalid conclusion. They said that
instead of evolutionary factors, it could be cultural factors
responsible for the differences observed between men and women.
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All cultures are somewhat male-dominated, hence in all cultures
we see the same pattern. Eagly and Wood re-analyzed Buss’ data,
taking the level of gender-equality into account, and found that
cultures which are more gender-equal have less difference
between the sexes in desired characteristics “good housekeeper”,
and “good earning capacity”. However, even in these cultures men
showed a larger preference for “physical attractiveness” than did
women.
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A real problem remains, from the cognitive level of analysis, in
that most often people are not aware consciously of what they
actually do find attractive in a partner. Hence, we should be
careful with concluding that the differences observed by Buss
reflect actual differences in men’s and women’s mate selection
strategies.
EAGLY AND WOOD (1999). BUSS
(1990).
Criticism from the socio-cultural level of analysis:
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Do we see support for the first opinion or the other?
Which disadvantage does the evolutionary perspective have in
this case?