Evolutionary theory says that men and women use different strategies when it comes to picking a mate because they have different evolutionary priorities. While both sexes prioritize looks, women also want a man who has access to resources and who can earn a living. This is based on the theory that women are the bearers and caregivers of offspring. It takes up their time and energy to care for young, so their mate must furnish the resources that support them in this endeavor. After all, evolution is about continuing the species and the young are prioritized in that mindset. Parental investment theory supports this idea. However, people may not want children or may be interested in a member of the same sex when they are looking for a mate, so parental investment is not the only theory that can be applied to mate selection behavior. Speciation theory also supports the idea that mate selection traits are universal and evolutionary. Yet, some researchers in the field of evolutionary mating strategies say that because humans have evolved, and society has become more equal for both sexes, these evolutionary cues that seem universal are not the only factors involved in mate selection. They are still present, but more learned methods (as opposed to evolutionary methods) of mate selection are being used especially in cultures where gender parity is high. Some claim that this is a necessity if humans are ever going to reach a point where the sexes are considered equal. Those that hold on to the idea that evolution is all that is involved in mate selection seem to also hold on to the notion that the sexes cannot be equal.
The differences between the mating strategies that men and women use are evolutionary adaptations that are now genetic in humans, but that does not mean that other factors do not influence them as well. Women aim for reproductive success in that they want a mate that will provide the resources necessary to raise young. Men want reproductive success but that for them is being able to find fertile females who will bear the young. Zentner and Mitura (2012) writing in the journal, Psychological Science say that if that theory is true, then women would look for men with resources such as wealth or the ability to make money and men would look for young women with certain physical cues that indicate fertility (Zentner & Mitura, 2012, p. 1176). However, they contend that because of the modernization of society and the continuing trend toward gender parity, more learned traits have become the norm in mate selection for both sexes, but perhaps moreso in females since they now do not need to find a man with resources because they have their own resources in a gender equal society.
Others resarchers, such as Svensson, Runemark, Verzijden, and Wellenreuther (2014) of Proceedings: Biological Science, explain that mate selection may be due to greater variations in phenotypes in humans who have evolved based on environmental factors. This is the nature/nurture theory of mate selection. Svensson, Runemark, Verzijden, and Wellenreuther (2014) also point out that to what extent evolution and environment factors influence mate selection is unknown, but they believe that both influence (Svensson, Runemark, Verzijden, & Wellenreuther, 2014, p.1). Some believe that not only the environment but also ecology figure into mate selection. Munro, Flood, McKellar, and Reudink (2014) of the journal, Behaviour, cite studies that have been done regarding sex differences in mate preferences. Most of these studies have been conducted in constant environments, and these researchers believe that in settings where environmental or ecological conditions change frequently preferred mate characteristics of females especially could also change with the conditions meaning mate selection traits may be context-dependent rather than strictly evolutionary. Using online dating ads from across Canada, Munro, Flood, McKellar, and Reudink (2014) found that not only did sex influence mate selection on several different mate selection characteristics, but so did age and several other environmental and economic traits such as sex ratio, population size, population density and population income. This, according to these researchers demonstrates that mate preference is not influenced only by evolution (Munro, Flood, McKellar, & Reudink, 2014, p. 2072). Other factors may also support the theory that both evolution and environment affect mate selection traits too.
Some procreation takes place in a short-term context. In other words, a woman can get pregnant from having unprotected sex with a “one night stand.” Selecting a short-term mate may depend only upon how much alcohol she has consumed or who is available when she has the urge to have sex. One of those conditions can be
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