THEORIES OF MATE SELECTION

• “WHY DO I FIND YOU ATTRACTIVE?”

• PAGES 192 - 197

“YOU LOOK FAMILIAR” - SOCIAL HOMOGAMY

● WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUALITIES THAT APPLY TO THE SOCIAL

HOMOGAMY THEORY?

● PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS THEORY IN ACTION.

● DEFINITION - HOMOGAMY FROM A SOCIOLOGIST'S STANDPOINT IS

MARRIAGE AND MATING WITH A PERSON OF A SIMILAR

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, ETHNICITY, RACE, AGE, EDUCATION LEVEL,

AND/OR RELIGION. IT IS OFTEN A SUBCONSCIOUS AND NATURAL

MANNER OF CHOOSING MARRIAGE AND SEXUAL MATES.

“LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT” - IDEAL MATE THEORY

● HOW/WHEN/WHERE DO WE FORM OUR IMAGE OF AN IDEAL MATE?

● PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS THEORY IN ACTION.

DEFINITION – WHEN LIFE EXPECTANCY WAS LOW WE HAD TO SIZE UP

MATES QUICKLY. OUR BRAINS ARE HARD WIRED TO KNOW IN A SHORT

PERIOD OF TIME WHETHER WE WANT TO MATE OR NOT. IT IS A

LOVEMAP (SOME SAY ONLY 3 MINUTES, BRAIN REMEMBERS THINGS

FROM PAST)

RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT THE HORMONES ASSOCIATED WITH

LOVE, RATHER THAN LUST, CAN FLOOD THE BRAIN IN ONE-FIFTH OF A

SECOND

HELEN FISHER - HTTP://PEOPLE.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM/LOVE-AT-

FIRST-SIGHT2.HTM

“COME HERE OFTEN?” - PROXIMITY

● WHY DO WE FIND PEOPLE ATTRACTIVE SIMPLY BECAUSE WE SEE THEM

EVERYDAY?

● PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS THEORY IN ACTION.

● DEFINITION - OVERALL, IF YOU WANT TO ATRACT SOMEONE FOR

FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, OR BUSINESS - IT PAYS TO BE NEAR THEM AND

INTERACT WITH THEM. BE AVAILABLE AND VISIBLE. MAKE SURE YOU CROSS

PATHS, SHARE SPACE, AND FREQUENT THE SAME PLACES. PROVIDE THE

OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO SEE YOU, BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOU, AND

KNOW YOU. ATTRACTION CAN GROW FROM THERE.

“LOVE YOURSELF BEFORE LOVING ANOTHER” - ERIKSON'S IDENTITY CRISIS

● HOW DO MEN AND WOMEN DIFFER IN THIS THEORY?

● WHY DO THEY DIFFER?

● PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS THEORY IN ACTION.

● DEFINITION -

“ME MAN, YOU WOMAN. LET'S MATE” -NATURAL SELECTION

• LOVE AT FIRST SMELL

• FERTILITY SHINES – T-SHIRT TESTS DURING

FERTILE PERIODS, FACIAL FEATURES, VOICE

• FROM AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE, MASCULINITY IS BASICALLY

MAN’S WAY OF ADVERTISING GOOD GENES, DOMINANCE AND

LIKELIHOOD TO FATHER HEALTHIER KIDS,” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

● WOMEN PREFERRED TO MATE WITH MEN WHO

• –WOULD BE GOOD PROVIDERS

• –WOULD STAY AROUND TO BE GOOD PROVIDERS FOR THEMSELVES

& THEIR BABIES

● MEN PREFERRED TO MATE WITH WOMEN WHO

• –COULD BEAR HEALTHY BABIES

• –COULD FEED THEIR CHILDREN

• –HAD THE INTELLIGENCE & TEMPERAMENT TO RAISE THEM WELL

● TWO PROCESSES WERE AT WORK FOR MEN & WOMEN TO

EXCHANGE THEIR VALUABLE REPRODUCTIVE RESOURCES

• 1.INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES FOR AN ATTRACTIVE MATE

• 2.COMPETITION WITH OTHERS FOR MATE

• THE EVOLUTION OF DESIRE – BY DAVID BUSS (EVOLUTIONARY

PSYCHOLOGIST)

• •“POTENTIAL PARTNERS IS STILL PATTERNED TO ENABLE THEM TO

SELECT THE PERSON WITH WHOM THEY CAN RAISE THE MOST

SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN”

• –IN ALL SOCIETIES WOMEN WISH TO “MARRY UP”

• –WOMEN ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO MARRY MEN FOR FINANCIAL

RESOURCES

• –WOMEN ARE ATTRACTED TO HEALTHY, INTELLIGENT, WELL-

EDUCATED, HARD-WORKING AND AMBITIOUS

• –MEN ARE ATTRACTED TO PHYSICALLY APPEALING, YOUNG &

HEALTHY

• •IN SUMMARY, ACCORDING TO ANTHROPOLOGY & EVOLUTIONARY

PSYCHOLOGY, WOMEN ARE ATTRACTED TO GOOD PROVIDERS &

MEN ARE ATTRACTED TO WOMEN WHO APPEAR TO BE FERTILE

WHY WE LOVE?

• WATCH THE FOLLOWING TED TALK – PLEASE SCROLL DOWN AND

WATCH THE ONE TITLED – HELEN FISHER – WHY WE LOVE, WHY

WE CHEAT

• HTTPS://WWW.TED.COM/PLAYLISTS/6/SEX_CAN_WE_TALK

● WHY DO WE LOVE?

● WHAT TRENDS THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY INFLUENCE WHY,

HOW WE FALL IN LOVE, TYPES OF MARRIAGES.

● WHY DO WE NEED TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS?

COURTSHIP RITUALS

• HERE IS A FUNNY VIDEO WHEN HUMANS TRY TO ACT OUT ANIMAL COURTSHIP RITUALS.

• HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=HLFPT7K1OLI

• WHAT SORTS OF ACTIVITIES DO COUPLES GO THROUGH THAT COULD BE CALLED A COURTSHIP RITUAL?

• •COURTSHIP RITUALS IN ALL SOCIETIES

• •MEN DISPLAY THEIR RESOURCES TO PROVE THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE GOOD PROVIDERS

• •WOMEN DISPLAY THE QUALITIES THAT MAKE THEM DESIRABLE & NURTURING

• WHAT ABOUT IN HOMOSEXUAL COUPLES? DO THEY HAVE TRADITIONAL MALE AND FEMALE ROLES? READ THE ARTICLE AND YOU TELL ME!

• HTTPS://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/LIFEANDSTYLE/2016/AUG/23/SAME-SEX-RELATIONSHIP-GENDER-ROLES-CHORES