Effects of visual exposure to the opposite sex: cognitive aspects of mate attraction in human males.
This research is an investigation into the cognitive aspects of mate attraction in human males. Two experiments demonstrate that visual exposure to women (in person or within photographs) can prime large changes in the attitudes, mood states, and personality trait descriptions of male participants. These changes, furthermore, are such that participants show greater conformity to female mate preferences as described in the extant literature: In particular, men exposed to potential mates reported higher valuations of material wealth, greater momentary feelings of ambition, higher valuations of other indicators of social status, and personality trait descriptions indicative of high surgency/extraversion. All such effects occurred without participants' awareness that their responses had been affected by the experimental manipulations. These findings suggest a model of mate attraction mechanisms in which input cues from potential mates can prime those psychological representations that facilitate the behavioral expression of courtship tactics.
Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 E. 57th Street, Room 126, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. jrroney@midway.uchicago.edu
James R
JR
Roney
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002641:Chicago; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D003380:Courtship; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D015146:Midwestern United States; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012923:Social Class; D012928:Social Desirability