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International Preferences in Selecting Mates

A Study of 37 Cultures

Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Max Abbott

Alois Angleitner

Armen Asherian

Angela Biaggio

Angel Blanco-Villasenor

M. Bruchon-Schweitzer

Hai-Yuan Ch'U

Janusz Czapinski

Boele Deraad

Bo Ekehammar

Noha El Lohamy

Mario Fioravanti

James Georgas

Per Gjerde

Ruth Guttman

Fatima Hazan

Saburo Iwawaki

N. Janakiramaiah

Fatemeh Khosroshani

Shulamith Kreitler

Lance Lachenicht

Margaret Lee

Kadi Liik

Brian Little

Stanislaw Mika

Mariam Moadel-Shahid

Geraldine Moane

Maritza Montero

A. C. Mundy-Castle

Toomas Niit

Evaristo Nsenduluka

Ryszard Pienkowski

Anne-Maija Pirtila-Backman

Julio Ponce De Leon

Jacques Rousseau

Mark A. Runco

Marilyn P. Safir

Curtis Samuels

Rasyid Sanitioso

Robert Serpell

Nico Smid

Christopher Spencer

Meri Tadinac

Elka N. Todorova

Kari Troland

L. Van Den Brande

Guus Van Heck

L. Van Langenhove

Kuo-Shu Yang

This study sought to identify the effects of culture and sex on mate preferences using samples drawn world-wide. Thirty-seven samples were obtained from 33 countries located on six continents and five islands (N = 9,474). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed strong effects of both culture and sex, moderated by specific mate characteristics. Chastity proved to be the mate characteristic on which cultures varied the most. The preference ordering of each sample was contrasted with an international complement. Each culture displayed a unique preference ordering, but there were some similarities among all cultures as reflected in a positive manifold of the cross-country correlation matrix. Multidimensional scaling of the cultures yielded a five dimensional solution, the first two of which were interpreted. The first dimension was interpreted as Traditional versus Modern, with China, India, Iran, and Nigeria anchoring one end and the Netherlands, Great Britain, Finland, and Sweden anchoring the other. The second dimension involved valuation of education, intelligence, and refinement. Consistent sex differences in value attached to eaming potential and physical attractiveness supported evolution-based hypotheses about the importance of resources and reproductive value in mates. Discussion emphasizes the importance of psychological mate preferences for scientific disciplines ranging from evolutionary biology to sociology.

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Vol. 21, No. 1, 5-47 (1990)
DOI: 10.1177/0022022190211001


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