Evolutionary psychology is a scientific psychological discipline that aims to evaluate human behavior in relation to the evolutionary development of the human species (Aktürk, 2013). Like all living beings, humans exhibit various behaviors shaped by evolutionary developments that have continued for thousands of years. One of the most crucial components of evolution is undoubtedly reproduction. Reproduction is a fundamental instinct in all living organisms, serving as the core mechanism for the continuation of the species.
Various reproductive strategies have been developed across species. For instance, as Darwin noted, peacocks evolved vivid and colorful feathers to attract mates and ensure the continuation of their lineage. Similarly, humans, as a product of extensive evolutionary processes, have developed both short- and long-term mating strategies aimed at facilitating reproduction and ensuring genetic legacy. According to evolutionary psychologists, people generally prefer mates who are healthy and perceived as attractive (Buss, 2017).
Women’s Mate Preferences from an Evolutionary Perspective
-
Men with high social status (those who possess sufficient status in socially organized groups).
-
Physically attractive men (those who are physically capable of meeting needs or competing for their partners if necessary).
-
Healthy partners (men expected to protect their family when needed and live a long life).
-
Men who can respond to romantic relationship needs based on the era’s norms (e.g., offering a flower or bringing the best part of a hunted animal to the partner).
-
Men who can reliably provide for and protect offspring—thinking in terms of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, these are men capable of securing food and shelter and shielding their families from external threats.
-
Men who are both willing and able to sustain a relationship and raise children—because mate selection involves significant investment, women naturally seek partners who will not squander this commitment and will contribute enough support to ensure the well-being of their offspring.
-
Men who are older and perceived as more mature—this is associated with greater stability, resource acquisition, and overall capability to provide support.
Men’s Mate Preferences from an Evolutionary Perspective
-
Women perceived to have high fertility (as reproduction is essential for lineage continuation).
-
Physically attractive and capable women.
-
Women capable of caring for offspring (those with the capacity to ensure healthy child development).
-
Women who can meet some basic needs of both partner and child (e.g., when a man brings food, his partner should be able to feed both him and the child).
-
Faithful women (to ensure the continuation of the man’s genetic lineage).
-
Women expected to be healthy and long-lived (choosing a sick or short-lived woman may endanger reproduction).
-
Preference for women with physical indicators of femininity and fertility, such as higher body fat levels compared to thinner women.
-
Men tend to seek women who are not significantly older. If a woman of reproductive age is much older, she may be perceived as having reduced fertility, posing a risk to the continuation of the lineage and the transmission of genes.
Numerous examples and generalizations can be made in this context. Ultimately, the primary goal shared by nearly all species is reproduction and the continuation of their lineage—that is, the successful transmission of their genes to the next generation. For this reason, evolution, which has persisted for thousands of years, has shaped significant criteria regarding mate selection in order to ensure the healthiest continuation of a species.
If we are to make a generalization about mate selection strategies, it can be said that women tend to seek physically strong men capable of meeting both their own and their offspring’s needs. Men, on the other hand, typically look for women who are healthy, fertile, and loyal. From an evolutionary perspective, these mate selection strategies cannot be deemed absolutely right or wrong by today’s societal standards. Each reader may have chosen a partner based on some of these criteria, whether consciously or subconsciously, within their personal or social environment.
It is important to recognize that the continuation of the human species across generations has been influenced by instinctual behaviors, preferences, and patterns that have evolved and persisted since the earliest hominins.
References
Aktürk, E. G. (2013). Interaction, Mate Selection, and Evolutionary Psychology. Evolutionary Psychology, 215.
Buss, D. M., & Schmitt, D. P. (2017). Sexual Strategies Theory: An Evolutionary Perspective on Human Mating. In Interpersonal Development (pp. 297–325). Routledge.