<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_dating">Speed dating</a> seems to provide an ideal setting for the type of study you seek. There are several relevant papers (see References below and Google search <a href="http://www.google.com/#q=human+mate+preferences+speed+dating">human mate preferences speed dating</a>).</p>

<p>There is no consensus among researchers, but here's a sampling of some of the supposed <em>findings</em>:</p>

<ul>
<li>Buston &amp; Emlen claim that people choose mates from their league, i.e., those they think have comparable traits, which lie in four categories: "wealth and status, family commitment, physical appearance, and sexual ﬁdelity".</li>
<li>Todd et al. claim support for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_investment">parental investment theory</a> because "men chose women based on their physical attractiveness, whereas women ... chose men whose overall desirability as a mate matched the women's self-perceived physical attractiveness"</li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
  <h3>References</h3>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Buston, P. M. &amp; Emlen, S. T. (2003) Cognitive processes underlying human mate choice: the relationship between self-perception and mate preference in Western society. PNAS 100: 8805-8810. [<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/100/15/8805.full.pdf">pdf</a>]</li>
  <li>Todd, P. M., Penke, L., Fasolo, B., &amp; Lenton, A. P. (2007) Different cognitive processes underlie human mate choices and mate preferences. PNAS 104: 15011-15016. [<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/104/38/15011.full.pdf">pdf</a>]</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-31T19:57:56.743Z
2012-05-31T19:57:56.743Z
John Pick
<p><strong>Background:</strong> I was at a talk today where the presenter discussed a study that involved a administering a couple of questions asking participants which of two people they would prefer as a relationship partner. To simplify things a little bit, in one example participants were asked whether they would prefer a rich ugly partner or a poor attractive partner.</p>

<p>This got me interested in whether anyone had extended this idea to a comprehensive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choice_modelling" rel="noreferrer">choice modelling</a> study. I.e., get a large number of participants to compare pairs of possible partners with different characteristics and estimate the utility of different characteristics.</p>

<p><strong>Question:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>What if any journal articles have examined relationship partner preference using a choice modelling methodology?</li>
<li>What were the main findings?</li>
</ul>

<social-psychology>
Are there any applications of choice modelling to romantic relationships?
Jeromy Anglim
# Are there any applications of choice modelling to romantic relationships?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-05-31)

**Background:** I was at a talk today where the presenter discussed a study that involved a administering a couple of questions asking participants which of two people they would prefer as a relationship partner. To simplify things a little bit, in one example participants were asked whether they would prefer a rich ugly partner or a poor attractive partner.

This got me interested in whether anyone had extended this idea to a comprehensive [choice modelling](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choice_modelling) study. I.e., get a large number of participants to compare pairs of possible partners with different characteristics and estimate the utility of different characteristics.

**Question:**

* What if any journal articles have examined relationship partner preference using a choice modelling methodology?
* What were the main findings?

**Tags:** social-psychology


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-05-31. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

[Speed dating](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_dating) seems to provide an ideal setting for the type of study you seek. There are several relevant papers (see References below and Google search [human mate preferences speed dating](http://www.google.com/#q=human+mate+preferences+speed+dating)).

There is no consensus among researchers, but here's a sampling of some of the supposed *findings*:

* Buston & Emlen claim that people choose mates from their league, i.e., those they think have comparable traits, which lie in four categories: "wealth and status, family commitment, physical appearance, and sexual ﬁdelity".
* Todd et al. claim support for [parental investment theory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_investment) because "men chose women based on their physical attractiveness, whereas women ... chose men whose overall desirability as a mate matched the women's self-perceived physical attractiveness"

> ### References
>
> * Buston, P. M. & Emlen, S. T. (2003) Cognitive processes underlying human mate choice: the relationship between self-perception and mate preference in Western society. PNAS 100: 8805-8810. [[pdf](http://www.pnas.org/content/100/15/8805.full.pdf)]
> * Todd, P. M., Penke, L., Fasolo, B., & Lenton, A. P. (2007) Different cognitive processes underlie human mate choices and mate preferences. PNAS 104: 15011-15016. [[pdf](http://www.pnas.org/content/104/38/15011.full.pdf)]


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