Mate selection preferences: gender differences examined in a national sample.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Cross-sectional analysis of a national probability survey sample
PubMed 8046577 · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.66.6.1074
What was done
Data from single adults in the National Survey of Families and Households (a national probability sample) were analyzed to evaluate mate preferences. Participants evaluated 12 assets or liabilities in a prospective marriage partner and indicated their willingness to marry someone possessing each characteristic. Mate preferences and gender differences were compared across the sample and across sociodemographic subgroups, including age and race.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, or test statistics. Directionally, youth and physical attractiveness were more important for men than for women, whereas earning potential was less important for men than for women. These gender differences were consistent across age groups and racial categories, though the magnitude of differences varied slightly across sociodemographic subgroups.
Why it matters
This study demonstrates that previously documented gender differences in mate selection preferences replicate in a representative national probability sample rather than being artifacts of small, non-representative convenience samples.
Limits
The abstract provides no sample size, effect sizes, or exact statistical metrics. The study relies on cross-sectional self-reports about hypothetical marriage preferences rather than real-world pairing behavior, and it does not establish causal mechanisms for the observed differences.