Apostolou, Menelaos. (2008) Parent-offspring conflict over mating : the case of beauty. Evolutionary Psychology, Vol.6 (No.2). pp. 303-315. ISSN 1474-7049

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Abstract

In pre-industrial societies parents exercise a strong influence over the mating decisions of their offspring. As modern pre-industrial societies approximate the way of life in ancestral human societies, human mating behavior should be seen as the outcome of a co-evolutionary process between parental and offspring's mating choice. Both parents and offspring have evolved mating preferences, which enable them to select those mates and in-laws who maximize their inclusive fitness. Following Trivers' (1974) theory of parent-offspring conflict, it is hypothesized that in-law and mating preferences substantially overlap, but also differ with respect to the beauty trait of a mating candidate. This hypothesis is tested on a sample of 292 parents. It is found that the two sets of preferences are strongly correlated, while beauty is preferred significantly more in a mating partner than in an in-law.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Psychology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Parent and teenager, Parent and adult child, Evolutionary psychology, Mate selection -- Physiological aspects
Journal or Publication Title:	Evolutionary Psychology
Publisher:	Evolutionary Psychology
ISSN:	1474-7049
Date:	2008
Volume:	Vol.6
Number:	No.2
Number of Pages:	13
Page Range:	pp. 303-315
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Related URLs:	Publisher
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/27850

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