Lowering Partner Standards in a Short-Term Mating Context
Humans are more selective when considering partners for a long-term relationship compared to a short-term one.
The characteristics modern men and women desire in a partner differ as a function of mating context. Overall, this pattern reflects a general “relaxing” of standards in a short-term mating context compared to a long-term one. For example, compared to a long-term partner, both sexes are willing to tolerate a prospective casual mate who is lower in intelligence, kindness, and social status (Kenrick et al. 1993; Li and Kenrick 2006).
However, not all standards are relaxed in the context of casual mating. Desire for physical attractiveness in a potential partner, for instance, appears to be maintained, or even enhanced, in a short-term mating context compared to a long-term one (Kenrick et al. 1993; Li and Kenrick 2006). Understanding why standards are lower in some...
- Kenrick, D. T., Groth, G. E., Trost, M. R., & Sadalla, E. K. (1993). Integrating evolutionary and social-exchange perspectives on relationships – Effects of gender, self-appraisal, and involvement level on mate selection criteria. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(6), 951–969. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3522.214.171.1241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Thomas, A. G., & Stewart-Williams, S. (2018). Mating strategy flexibility in the laboratory: Preferences for long- and short-term mating change in response to evolutionarily relevant variables. Evolution and Human Behavior, 39(1), 82–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.10.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar