Evolutionary Psychology Co-Editors: Steven M. Platek, Benedict C. Jones, and Todd K. ShackelfordParent-offspring conflict over mating: The case of beauty
Evolutionary Psychology 6(2): 303-315Abstract
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.
Keywords
parent-offspring conflict, parental choice, mating preferences, in-law preferences, mating behavior