International preferences in selecting mates: A Study of 37 Cultures

David M. Buss; Max Abbott; Alois Angleitner; Armen Asherian; Angela Biaggio; Angel Blanco-Villasenor; M. Bruchon-Schweitzer; Hai Yuan Ch'u; Janusz Czapinski; Boele Deraad; bo Ekehammar; Noha El Lohamy; Mario Fioravanti; James Georgas; Per Gjerde; Ruth Guttman; Fatima Hazan; Saburo Iwawaki; N. Janakiramaiah; Fatemeh Khosroshani; Shulamith Kreitler; Lance Lachenicht; Margaret Lee; Kadi Liik; Brian Little; Stanislaw Mika; Mariam Moadel-Shahid; Geraldine Moane; Maritza Montero; A. C. Mundy-Castle; Toomas Niit; Evaristo Nsenduluka; Ryszard Pienkowski; Anne Maija Pirtila-Backman; Julio Ponce de Leon; Jacques Rousseau; Mark A. Runco; Marilyn P. Safir; Curtis Samuels; Rasyid Sanitioso; Robert Serpell; Nico Smid; Christopher Spencer; Meri Tadinac; Elka N. Todorova; Kari Troland; L. Van Den Brande; Guus Van Heck; L. Van Langenhove; Kuo Shu Yang

doi:10.1177/0022022190211001

International preferences in selecting mates: A Study of 37 Cultures

David M. Buss, Max Abbott, Alois Angleitner, Armen Asherian, Angela Biaggio, Angel Blanco-Villasenor, M. Bruchon-Schweitzer, Hai Yuan Ch'u, Janusz Czapinski, Boele Deraad, bo Ekehammar, Noha El Lohamy, Mario Fioravanti, James Georgas, Per Gjerde, Ruth Guttman, Fatima Hazan, Saburo Iwawaki, N. Janakiramaiah, Fatemeh KhosroshaniShulamith Kreitler, Lance Lachenicht, Margaret Lee, Kadi Liik, Brian Little, Stanislaw Mika, Mariam Moadel-Shahid, Geraldine Moane, Maritza Montero, A. C. Mundy-Castle, Toomas Niit, Evaristo Nsenduluka, Ryszard Pienkowski, Anne Maija Pirtila-Backman, Julio Ponce de Leon, Jacques Rousseau, Mark A. Runco, Marilyn P. Safir, Curtis Samuels, Rasyid Sanitioso, Robert Serpell, Nico Smid, Christopher Spencer, Meri Tadinac, Elka N. Todorova, Kari Troland, L. Van Den Brande, Guus Van Heck, L. Van Langenhove, Kuo Shu Yang

School of Psychological Sciences

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

490 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study sought to identify the effects of culture and sex on mate preferences using samples drawn world-wide. Thirty-seven samples were obtained from 33 countries located on six continents and five islands (N = 9,474). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed strong effects of both culture and sex, moderated by specific mate characteristics. Chastity proved to be the mate characteristic on which cultures varied the most. The preference ordering of each sample was contrasted with an international complement. Each culture displayed a unique preference ordering, but there were some similarities among all cultures as reflected in a positive manifold of the cross-country correlation matrix. Multidimensional scaling of the cultures yielded a five dimensional solution, the first two of which were interpreted. The first dimension was interpreted as Traditional versus Modern, with China, India, Iran, and Nigeria anchoring one end and the Netherlands, Great Britain, Finland, and Sweden anchoring the other. The second dimension involved valuation of education, intelligence, and refinement. Consistent sex differences in value attached to eaming potential and physical attractiveness supported evolution-based hypotheses about the importance of resources and reproductive value in mates. Discussion emphasizes the importance of psychological mate preferences for scientific disciplines ranging from evolutionary biology to sociology.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5-47
Number of pages	43
Journal	Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
Volume	21
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022190211001
State	Published - Mar 1990

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Buss, D. M., Abbott, M., Angleitner, A., Asherian, A., Biaggio, A., Blanco-Villasenor, A., Bruchon-Schweitzer, M., Ch'u, H. Y., Czapinski, J., Deraad, B., Ekehammar, B., El Lohamy, N., Fioravanti, M., Georgas, J., Gjerde, P., Guttman, R., Hazan, F., Iwawaki, S., Janakiramaiah, N., ... Yang, K. S. (1990). International preferences in selecting mates: A Study of 37 Cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 21(1), 5-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022190211001

@article{6e75840965c6499bac60a48823c095ff,

title = "International preferences in selecting mates: A Study of 37 Cultures",

abstract = "This study sought to identify the effects of culture and sex on mate preferences using samples drawn world-wide. Thirty-seven samples were obtained from 33 countries located on six continents and five islands (N = 9,474). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed strong effects of both culture and sex, moderated by specific mate characteristics. Chastity proved to be the mate characteristic on which cultures varied the most. The preference ordering of each sample was contrasted with an international complement. Each culture displayed a unique preference ordering, but there were some similarities among all cultures as reflected in a positive manifold of the cross-country correlation matrix. Multidimensional scaling of the cultures yielded a five dimensional solution, the first two of which were interpreted. The first dimension was interpreted as Traditional versus Modern, with China, India, Iran, and Nigeria anchoring one end and the Netherlands, Great Britain, Finland, and Sweden anchoring the other. The second dimension involved valuation of education, intelligence, and refinement. Consistent sex differences in value attached to eaming potential and physical attractiveness supported evolution-based hypotheses about the importance of resources and reproductive value in mates. Discussion emphasizes the importance of psychological mate preferences for scientific disciplines ranging from evolutionary biology to sociology.",

author = "Buss, {David M.} and Max Abbott and Alois Angleitner and Armen Asherian and Angela Biaggio and Angel Blanco-Villasenor and M. Bruchon-Schweitzer and Ch'u, {Hai Yuan} and Janusz Czapinski and Boele Deraad and bo Ekehammar and {El Lohamy}, Noha and Mario Fioravanti and James Georgas and Per Gjerde and Ruth Guttman and Fatima Hazan and Saburo Iwawaki and N. Janakiramaiah and Fatemeh Khosroshani and Shulamith Kreitler and Lance Lachenicht and Margaret Lee and Kadi Liik and Brian Little and Stanislaw Mika and Mariam Moadel-Shahid and Geraldine Moane and Maritza Montero and Mundy-Castle, {A. C.} and Toomas Niit and Evaristo Nsenduluka and Ryszard Pienkowski and Pirtila-Backman, {Anne Maija} and {de Leon}, {Julio Ponce} and Jacques Rousseau and Runco, {Mark A.} and Safir, {Marilyn P.} and Curtis Samuels and Rasyid Sanitioso and Robert Serpell and Nico Smid and Christopher Spencer and Meri Tadinac and Todorova, {Elka N.} and Kari Troland and {Van Den Brande}, L. and {Van Heck}, Guus and {Van Langenhove}, L. and Yang, {Kuo Shu}",

year = "1990",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1177/0022022190211001",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "21",

pages = "5--47",

journal = "Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology",

issn = "0022-0221",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

number = "1",

}

Buss, DM, Abbott, M, Angleitner, A, Asherian, A, Biaggio, A, Blanco-Villasenor, A, Bruchon-Schweitzer, M, Ch'u, HY, Czapinski, J, Deraad, B, Ekehammar, B, El Lohamy, N, Fioravanti, M, Georgas, J, Gjerde, P, Guttman, R, Hazan, F, Iwawaki, S, Janakiramaiah, N, Khosroshani, F, Kreitler, S, Lachenicht, L, Lee, M, Liik, K, Little, B, Mika, S, Moadel-Shahid, M, Moane, G, Montero, M, Mundy-Castle, AC, Niit, T, Nsenduluka, E, Pienkowski, R, Pirtila-Backman, AM, de Leon, JP, Rousseau, J, Runco, MA, Safir, MP, Samuels, C, Sanitioso, R, Serpell, R, Smid, N, Spencer, C, Tadinac, M, Todorova, EN, Troland, K, Van Den Brande, L, Van Heck, G, Van Langenhove, L & Yang, KS 1990, 'International preferences in selecting mates: A Study of 37 Cultures', Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 5-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022190211001

TY - JOUR

T1 - International preferences in selecting mates

T2 - A Study of 37 Cultures

AU - Buss, David M.

AU - Abbott, Max

AU - Angleitner, Alois

AU - Asherian, Armen

AU - Biaggio, Angela

AU - Blanco-Villasenor, Angel

AU - Bruchon-Schweitzer, M.

AU - Ch'u, Hai Yuan

AU - Czapinski, Janusz

AU - Deraad, Boele

AU - Ekehammar, bo

AU - El Lohamy, Noha

AU - Fioravanti, Mario

AU - Georgas, James

AU - Gjerde, Per

AU - Guttman, Ruth

AU - Hazan, Fatima

AU - Iwawaki, Saburo

AU - Janakiramaiah, N.

AU - Khosroshani, Fatemeh

AU - Kreitler, Shulamith

AU - Lachenicht, Lance

AU - Lee, Margaret

AU - Liik, Kadi

AU - Little, Brian

AU - Mika, Stanislaw

AU - Moadel-Shahid, Mariam

AU - Moane, Geraldine

AU - Montero, Maritza

AU - Mundy-Castle, A. C.

AU - Niit, Toomas

AU - Nsenduluka, Evaristo

AU - Pienkowski, Ryszard

AU - Pirtila-Backman, Anne Maija

AU - de Leon, Julio Ponce

AU - Rousseau, Jacques

AU - Runco, Mark A.

AU - Safir, Marilyn P.

AU - Samuels, Curtis

AU - Sanitioso, Rasyid

AU - Serpell, Robert

AU - Smid, Nico

AU - Spencer, Christopher

AU - Tadinac, Meri

AU - Todorova, Elka N.

AU - Troland, Kari

AU - Van Den Brande, L.

AU - Van Heck, Guus

AU - Van Langenhove, L.

AU - Yang, Kuo Shu

PY - 1990/3

Y1 - 1990/3

N2 - This study sought to identify the effects of culture and sex on mate preferences using samples drawn world-wide. Thirty-seven samples were obtained from 33 countries located on six continents and five islands (N = 9,474). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed strong effects of both culture and sex, moderated by specific mate characteristics. Chastity proved to be the mate characteristic on which cultures varied the most. The preference ordering of each sample was contrasted with an international complement. Each culture displayed a unique preference ordering, but there were some similarities among all cultures as reflected in a positive manifold of the cross-country correlation matrix. Multidimensional scaling of the cultures yielded a five dimensional solution, the first two of which were interpreted. The first dimension was interpreted as Traditional versus Modern, with China, India, Iran, and Nigeria anchoring one end and the Netherlands, Great Britain, Finland, and Sweden anchoring the other. The second dimension involved valuation of education, intelligence, and refinement. Consistent sex differences in value attached to eaming potential and physical attractiveness supported evolution-based hypotheses about the importance of resources and reproductive value in mates. Discussion emphasizes the importance of psychological mate preferences for scientific disciplines ranging from evolutionary biology to sociology.

AB - This study sought to identify the effects of culture and sex on mate preferences using samples drawn world-wide. Thirty-seven samples were obtained from 33 countries located on six continents and five islands (N = 9,474). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed strong effects of both culture and sex, moderated by specific mate characteristics. Chastity proved to be the mate characteristic on which cultures varied the most. The preference ordering of each sample was contrasted with an international complement. Each culture displayed a unique preference ordering, but there were some similarities among all cultures as reflected in a positive manifold of the cross-country correlation matrix. Multidimensional scaling of the cultures yielded a five dimensional solution, the first two of which were interpreted. The first dimension was interpreted as Traditional versus Modern, with China, India, Iran, and Nigeria anchoring one end and the Netherlands, Great Britain, Finland, and Sweden anchoring the other. The second dimension involved valuation of education, intelligence, and refinement. Consistent sex differences in value attached to eaming potential and physical attractiveness supported evolution-based hypotheses about the importance of resources and reproductive value in mates. Discussion emphasizes the importance of psychological mate preferences for scientific disciplines ranging from evolutionary biology to sociology.

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JO - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

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IS - 1

ER -

International preferences in selecting mates: A Study of 37 Cultures

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