The association between life history strategy and mate preference in men

Abstract

The function of life history (LH) strategies acquired in response to ambient conditions during childhood is to maximize reproductive success. Mate preferences that facilitate reproductive goals should thus vary with LH strategies. In two studies, male participants completed measures of LH and mate preferences regarding fertility and good genes, fidelity and good mothers, and modernity and good provisioning (Study 1) or a face identification task designed to assess perceptual sensitivity toward neoteny representing fertility (Study 2). Results showed that men identified as of fast LH preferred physically attractive women and prioritized fertility and good genes over fidelity and good mothers in their mate selections. Moreover, they were sensitive to female fertility features, as evidenced by them spending less time identifying odd faces that differed from other faces in terms of neoteny. These findings suggest that men of faster LH are more likely to invest in mating than parenting and preferred mates of high reproductive potential over those representing high parental investment.