Partner Evaluation and Selection

Abstract Not all mates are equally reproductively fit. As such, it makes sense that humans have evolved mate preferences to guide the evaluation and selection of partners who offer more versus less reproductive value. This chapter examines theory and empirical work on evolved preferences for long- and short-term mates and considers the emergence of new forms of casual, hybrid relationships. It examines basic sex-differentiated preferences for physical attractiveness and resources, as well as the prioritization of these traits, and developments in uncovering the processes that underlie the holistic valuation of a potential mate’s value. The chapter then discusses the criticisms and debates on the validity of mate preferences and research on mate preferences fluctuating adaptively with women’s menstrual cycle. Finally, the chapter closes with a consideration of principles of evolutionary mismatch, which may explain why there is a disconnect between theory and findings and why humans and other species are mating with human-made objects rather than their conspecifics.