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Full-Text Articles in Social Psychology
Looks And Status Are Still Essential: Testing The Mate Preference Priority Model With The Profile-Based Experimental Paradigm, Jose C. Yong, Yi Wen Tan, Norman P. Li, Andrea L. Meltzer
Looks And Status Are Still Essential: Testing The Mate Preference Priority Model With The Profile-Based Experimental Paradigm, Jose C. Yong, Yi Wen Tan, Norman P. Li, Andrea L. Meltzer
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Objective: Although the mate preference priority model (MPPM; Li et al., 2002) has advanced our understanding of mate preferences, tests of the MPPM have relied on methods using text labels and thus lack ecological validity. We address this gap by testing the MPPM using Townsend and colleagues’ (1990a; 1990b; 1993) profile-based experimental paradigm, which utilizes profiles comprising photos of pre-rated models to manipulate physical attractiveness as well as costumes and descriptions to manipulate social status.Method: Using Singaporean samples, we conducted two studies (Study 1 n = 431, Study 2 n = 964) where participants judged the short-term and long-term mating …
Decreases In The Frontal Cortical Areas Following A Developmental Disruption Model Of Schizophrenia, Anna Healy
Decreases In The Frontal Cortical Areas Following A Developmental Disruption Model Of Schizophrenia, Anna Healy
Honors Program Theses and Projects
Methylazoxmethanol Acetate (MAM) is a toxin that temporarily blocks mitosis in developing embryonic brains. Exposure in rats on embryonic day 17 (E17) selectively targets frontal and hippocampal regions of the brain and produces behavioral and anatomical effects strikingly similar to those seen in human patients with schizophrenia. While previous studies examining these induced neuroanatomical disruptions support E17 MAM exposure as an animal model of schizophrenia, the vast majority focused on male rats. However, there have been a dearth of studies specifically looking at female rats in this model. This is significant since there is evidence of sex differences in the …
Mate Preference Priorities In The East And West: A Cross-Cultural Test Of The Mate Preference Priority Model, Andrew G. Thomas, Peter K. Jonason, Jesse D. Blackburn, Leif E. O. Kennair, Rob Lowe, John Malouff, Steve Stewart-Williams, Danielle Sulikowski, Norman P. Li
Mate Preference Priorities In The East And West: A Cross-Cultural Test Of The Mate Preference Priority Model, Andrew G. Thomas, Peter K. Jonason, Jesse D. Blackburn, Leif E. O. Kennair, Rob Lowe, John Malouff, Steve Stewart-Williams, Danielle Sulikowski, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Objective: Mate choice involves trading-off several preferences. Research on this process tends to examine mate preference prioritization in homogenous samples using a small number of traits and thus provide little insight into whether prioritization patterns reflect a universal human nature. This study examined whether prioritization patterns, and their accompanying sex differences, are consistent across Eastern and Western cultures. Method: In the largest test of the mate preference priority model to date, we asked an international sample of participants (N = 2,477) to design an ideal long-term partner by allocating mate dollars to eight traits using three budgets. Unlike previous versions …
Solving Mate Shortages: Lowering Standards, Searching Farther, And Abstaining, Peter K. Jonason, Simone L. Betes, Norman P. Li
Solving Mate Shortages: Lowering Standards, Searching Farther, And Abstaining, Peter K. Jonason, Simone L. Betes, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Although much work on mating psychology has focused on mate preferences and responses to desirable sexual and romantic offers, less is known about what happens when individuals face a lack of mating options. We present 2 studies on (hypothetical) compensatory mating tactics. In Study 1 (N = 299), participants were asked to imagine they were struggling to find long-term and short-term mates and we revealed sex differences and context-specific effects consistent with parental investment theory. In Study 2 (N = 282), participants were asked to imagine they had been incapable of finding a short-term and long-term mate for 6 months …
Can I Have Your Number? Men's Perceived Effectiveness Of Pick-Up Lines Used By Women, Maryanne L. Fisher, Sarah Coughlin, T. Joel Wade
Can I Have Your Number? Men's Perceived Effectiveness Of Pick-Up Lines Used By Women, Maryanne L. Fisher, Sarah Coughlin, T. Joel Wade
Faculty Journal Articles
We examined which pick-up lines that women may use on men, in the context of dating, are the most effective. Effectiveness was defined as success in securing a phone number or agreeing to meet again. We tested to determine which type of line (direct, innocuous, or flippant) was rated as most effective when attractiveness and perceived promiscuity of the women were manipulated. We predicted that direct pick-up lines would be the most effective when trying to pick-up men for the purpose of dating. We also predicted that men would rate the pick-up lines used by women rated high on attractiveness …
The Adaptive Functions Of Jealousy, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
The Adaptive Functions Of Jealousy, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Jealousy is a troublesome emotional experience for those afflicted by its onset. The grip of the “green-eyed monster” has been known to cause misery and produce some drastic coping behaviors ranging from paranoid stalking to violent aggression. But rather than a product of civilized culture gone wrong or a mental disorder as some thinkers have claimed jealousy to be, the current chapter proposes from an evolutionary perspective that jealousy plays an important role in our lives by serving a critical adaptive function for humans—the vigilance over and protection of relationships that are valuable to us.
Angry Faces Are More Resistant To Forgetting Than Are Happy Faces: Directed Forgetting Effects On The Identity Of Emotional Faces, Peter Kay Chai Tay, Hwajin Yang
Angry Faces Are More Resistant To Forgetting Than Are Happy Faces: Directed Forgetting Effects On The Identity Of Emotional Faces, Peter Kay Chai Tay, Hwajin Yang
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Using the item-method directed forgetting paradigm (i.e. intentionally forgetting specified information), we examined directed forgetting of facial identity as a function of facial expression and the sex of the expresser and perceiver. Participants were presented with happy and angry male and female faces cued for either forgetting or remembering, and were then asked to recognise previously studied faces from among a series of neutral faces. For each recognised test face, participants also recalled the face’s previously displayed emotional expression. We found that angry faces were more resistant to forgetting than were happy faces. Furthermore, angry expressions on male faces and …
Differential Parental Investment, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
Differential Parental Investment, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Differences in minimum obligatory parental investment contributed by men and women lead the sexes to diverge in their sexual strategies and affective experiences, although under certain conditions, men’s mating preferences converge with women’s. This chapter first describes necessary or obligatory parental investment, examines the origins of sex differences in obligatory parental investment, describes examples of such differences across a range of species, and highlights the consequences of these differences in terms of human sexual strategies, conflicts, and affective experiences.
Sex Similarities Versus Gender Symmetry, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
Sex Similarities Versus Gender Symmetry, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Men and women have similar and different mate preferences, which include preferences for type of relationship duration as well as the types of traits that are sought out within each mating duration. This entry covers some of the key similarities and differences in preferences for both mating context and partner traits within context.
Relationship Dealbreakers: Traits People Avoid In Potential Mates, Peter K. Jonason, Justin R. Garcia, Gregory D. Webster, Norman P. Li, Helen E. Fisher
Relationship Dealbreakers: Traits People Avoid In Potential Mates, Peter K. Jonason, Justin R. Garcia, Gregory D. Webster, Norman P. Li, Helen E. Fisher
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Mate preference research has focused on traits people desire in partners (i.e., dealmakers) rather than what traits they avoid (i.e., dealbreakers), but mate preferences calibrate to both maximize benefits and minimize costs. Across six studies (N > 6,500), we identified and examined relationship dealbreakers, and how they function across relationship contexts. Dealbreakers were associated with undesirable personality traits; unhealthy lifestyles in sexual, romantic, and friendship contexts; and divergent mating strategies in sexual and romantic contexts. Dealbreakers were stronger in long-term (vs. short-term) relationship contexts, and stronger in women (vs. men) in short-term contexts. People with higher mate value reported more dealbreakers; …
Occupational Niches And The Dark Triad Traits, Peter K. Jonason, Serena Wee, Norman P. Li, Christopher Jackson
Occupational Niches And The Dark Triad Traits, Peter K. Jonason, Serena Wee, Norman P. Li, Christopher Jackson
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Our research focused on the vocational interests correlated with the Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism). By understanding how these traits facilitate the structuring of one’s environment, we hypothesized that psychopaths will be more interested in realistic and practical careers, narcissists will be more interested in artistic, enterprising, and social careers, and Machiavellians will be more interested in avoiding careers that involve caring for others. In two cross-sectional studies (N = 424; N = 274), we provide general support for these hypotheses. Overall, our study showed those high on the Dark Triad traits may structure their social environment …
Predicting Romantic Interest And Decisions In The Very Early Stages Of Mate Selection: Standards, Accuracy, And Sex Differences, Garth J. O. Fletcher, Patrick S. G. Kerr, Norman P. Li, Katherine A. Valentine
Predicting Romantic Interest And Decisions In The Very Early Stages Of Mate Selection: Standards, Accuracy, And Sex Differences, Garth J. O. Fletcher, Patrick S. G. Kerr, Norman P. Li, Katherine A. Valentine
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
In the current study, opposite-sex strangers had 10-min conversations with a possible further date in mind. Based on judgments from partners and observers, three main findings were produced. First, judgments of attractiveness/vitality perceptions (compared with warmth/trustworthiness and status/resources) were the most accurate and were predominant in influencing romantic interest and decisions about further contact. Second, women were more cautious and choosy than men—women underestimated their partner’s romantic interest, whereas men exaggerated it, and women were less likely to want further contact. Third, a mediational model found that women (compared with men) were less likely to want further contact because they …
Playing Hard-To-Get: Manipulating One's Perceived Availability As A Mate, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li
Playing Hard-To-Get: Manipulating One's Perceived Availability As A Mate, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
‘Playing hard-to-get’ is a mating tactic in which people give the impression that they are ostensibly uninterested to get others to desire them more. This topic has received little attention because of theoretical and methodological limitations of prior work. We present four studies drawn from four different American universities that examined playing hard-to-get as part of a supply-side economics model of dating. In Studies 1a (N = 100) and 1b (N = 491), we identified the tactics that characterize playing hard-to-get and how often men and women enact them. In Study 2 (N = 290), we assessed reasons why men …
Her Voice Lingers On And Her Memory Is Strategic: Effects Of Gender On Directed Forgetting, Hwajin Yang, Sujin Yang, Giho Park
Her Voice Lingers On And Her Memory Is Strategic: Effects Of Gender On Directed Forgetting, Hwajin Yang, Sujin Yang, Giho Park
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
The literature on directed forgetting has employed exclusively visual words. Thus, the potentially interesting aspects of a spoken utterance, which include not only vocal cues (e.g., prosody) but also the speaker and the listener, have been neglected. This study demonstrates that prosody alone does not influence directed-forgetting effects, while the sex of the speaker and the listener significantly modulate directed-forgetting effects for spoken utterances. Specifically, forgetting costs were attenuated for female-spoken items compared to male-spoken items, and forgetting benefits were eliminated among female listeners but not among male listeners. These results suggest that information conveyed in a female …
Cash In Hand, Want Better Looking Mate: Significant Resource Cues Raise Reported Mating Standards In Men, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
Cash In Hand, Want Better Looking Mate: Significant Resource Cues Raise Reported Mating Standards In Men, Jose C. Yong, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Resources are a cardinal component of male mate value in the sexual exchange between men and women. Inspired by theories and research suggesting a link between mating and resource constructs as well as studies linking money and valuations of others, the current study tests the hypothesis that cues to resource availability may lead to higher mating standards for men, but not women. Participants were exposed to either stacks of paper, a small sum of money (104 Singapore dollars ~USD$84), or a large sum of money (2600 Singapore dollars ~USD$2100). Consistent with the hypothesis, after male – but not female – …
It Is Not All About The Benjamins: Understanding Preferences For Mates With Resources, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li, Laura Madson
It Is Not All About The Benjamins: Understanding Preferences For Mates With Resources, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li, Laura Madson
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
We contend that preferences for mates with resources or money might be calibrated on where a potential mate gets her/his money. In three studies (N = 668) we examined the nature of individuals’ preferences for mates who have resources or money. Both sexes preferred a long-term mate who has earned her/his money over other sources. In particular, women preferred mates who earned their money over other potential means of getting resources (i.e., inheritance, embezzlement, and windfall). Women maintained a high level of interest in mates who earned their money regardless of duration of the mateship whereas men became less interested …
Human Mating, Peter K. Jonason, Katherine A. Valentine, Norman P. Li
Human Mating, Peter K. Jonason, Katherine A. Valentine, Norman P. Li
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Theories and empirical findings of human mating are addressed in this article. Because of differential parental investment, men generally prefer short-term mating and women generally prefer long-term mating, and therefore must negotiate between their differential ideals. Booty-calls, friends-with-benefits, and consensual nonmonogamy are presented as compromises between male and female relationship type ideals. Sexual conflict in the form of infidelity, jealousy, sexual harassment, and rape occur when there is a break-down in negotiations. The adaptive reasons behind these behaviors and preferences are explored.
Sex Differences In Cooperation: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Social Dilemmas, Daniel Balliet, Norman P. Li, Shane J. Macfarlan, Mark Van Vugt
Sex Differences In Cooperation: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Social Dilemmas, Daniel Balliet, Norman P. Li, Shane J. Macfarlan, Mark Van Vugt
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Although it is commonly believed that women are kinder and more cooperative than men, there is conflicting evidence for this assertion. Current theories of sex differences in social behavior suggest that it may be useful to examine in what situations men and women are likely to differ in cooperation. Here, we derive predictions from both sociocultural and evolutionary perspectives on context-specific sex differences in cooperation, and we conduct a unique meta-analytic study of 272 effect sizes—sampled across 50 years of research—on social dilemmas to examine several potential moderators. The overall average effect size is not statistically different from zero (d …
Mate Preferences In The Us And Singapore: A Cross-Cultural Test Of The Mate Preference Priority Model, Norman P. Li, Katherine A. Valentine, Lily Patel
Mate Preferences In The Us And Singapore: A Cross-Cultural Test Of The Mate Preference Priority Model, Norman P. Li, Katherine A. Valentine, Lily Patel
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Sex differences have been found in mate preferences across several decades. Especially for long-term partners, men tend to value physical attractiveness and women tend to value social status. However, the sexes both value various other traits even more highly. Such findings thus diminish the importance of the sex differences and challenge the theoretical importance that evolutionary psychologists place on physical attractiveness and social status. Using a budget allocation methodology to examine mate preferences in both the US and Singapore, we found not only the usual sex differences, but also evidence that men prioritize physical attractiveness and women prioritize social status …
Intrasexual Competition And Eating Restriction In Heterosexual And Homosexual Individuals, Norman P. Li, April R. Smith, Vladas Griskevicius, Margaret J. Cason, Angela Bryan
Intrasexual Competition And Eating Restriction In Heterosexual And Homosexual Individuals, Norman P. Li, April R. Smith, Vladas Griskevicius, Margaret J. Cason, Angela Bryan
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Restrictive eating attitudes and behaviors have been hypothesized to be related to processes of intrasexual competition. According to this perspective, within-sex competition for status serves the adaptive purpose of attracting mates. As such, status competition salience may lead to concerns of mating desirability. For heterosexual women and gay men, such concerns revolve around appearing youthful and, thus, thinner. Following this logic, we examined how exposure to high-status and competitive (but not thin or highly attractive) same-sex individuals would influence body image and eating attitudes in heterosexual and in gay/lesbian individuals. Results indicated that for heterosexuals, intrasexual competition cues led to …
The Dark Triad: Facilitating A Short-Term Mating Strategy In Men, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li, Gregory D. Webster, David P. Schmitt
The Dark Triad: Facilitating A Short-Term Mating Strategy In Men, Peter K. Jonason, Norman P. Li, Gregory D. Webster, David P. Schmitt
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
This survey (N=224) found that characteristics collectively known as the Dark Triad (i.e. narcissism, psychopathy and Machiavellianism) were correlated with various dimensions of short-term mating but not long-term mating. The link between the Dark Triad and short-term mating was stronger for men than for women. The Dark Triad partially mediated the sex difference in short-term mating behaviour. Findings are consistent with a view that the Dark Triad facilitates an exploitative, short-term mating strategy in men. Possible implications, including that Dark Triad traits represent a bundle of individual differences that promote a reproductively adaptive strategy are discussed. Findings are discussed in …
The Stress-Affiliation Paradigm Revisited: Do People Prefer The Kindness Of Strangers Or Their Attractiveness?, Norman P. Li, Rose A. Halterman, Margaret J. Cason, George P. Knight, Jon K. Maner
The Stress-Affiliation Paradigm Revisited: Do People Prefer The Kindness Of Strangers Or Their Attractiveness?, Norman P. Li, Rose A. Halterman, Margaret J. Cason, George P. Knight, Jon K. Maner
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Two studies employed a classic affiliation-under-stress paradigm and examined people's preferences for affiliating with kind versus attractive same- and opposite-sex targets. When men were under default conditions of low stress, they preferred to affiliate with attractive women. However, men placed in a high stress situation instead preferred to interact with kind women. Regardless of stress level, women preferred to affiliate with kind, rather than attractive, men. When choosing among interaction partners of their own sex, participants uniformly chose to interact with kind others, regardless of stress level. This research builds on traditional stress-affiliation research, which has focused on whether people …
Sex Differences In Regret: All For Love Or Some For Lust?, Neal J. Roese, Ginger L. Pennington, Jill Coleman, Maria Janicki, Norman P. Li, Douglas T. Kenrick
Sex Differences In Regret: All For Love Or Some For Lust?, Neal J. Roese, Ginger L. Pennington, Jill Coleman, Maria Janicki, Norman P. Li, Douglas T. Kenrick
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Few sex differences in regret or counterfactual thinking are evident in past research. The authors discovered a sex difference in regret that is both domain-specific (i.e., unique to romantic relationships) and interpretable within a convergence of theories of evolution and regulatory focus. Three studies showed that within romantic relationships, men emphasize regrets of inaction over action (which correspond to promotion vs. prevention goals, respectively), whereas women report regrets of inaction and action with equivalent frequency. Sex differences were not evident in other interpersonal regrets (friendship, parental, sibling interactions) and were not moderated by relationship status. Although the sex difference was …
Sex Similarities And Differences In Preferences For Short-Term Mates: What, Whether, And Why, Norman P. Li, Douglas T. Kenrick
Sex Similarities And Differences In Preferences For Short-Term Mates: What, Whether, And Why, Norman P. Li, Douglas T. Kenrick
Research Collection School of Social Sciences
Are there sex differences in criteria for sexual relationships? The answer depends on what question a researcher asks. Data suggest that, whereas the sexes differ in whether they will enter short-term sexual relationships, they are more similar in what they prioritize in partners for such relationships. However, additional data and context of other findings and theory suggest different underlying reasons. In Studies 1 and 2, men and women were given varying "mate budgets" to design short-term mates and were asked whether they would actually mate with constructed partners. Study 3 used a mate-screening paradigm. Whereas women have been found to …