Abstract
Evolutionary psychologists argue that there are reliable sex differences between men and women's partner preferences, such that men attach greater importance than women to physical attractiveness, whereas women are more concerned than men with commitment and status. The present study proposed that gender roles may moderate these sex differences. A total of 143 participants completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and rated the importance of several partner characteristics. Categorical and regression analyses showed that both sex and sex-typing had a significant impact on partner preferences. These findings are discussed in terms of a trade-off threshold model of partner preferences, such that masculine women may engage in some trade-off of commitment characteristics for physical attractiveness and feminine men may trade-off attractiveness for signs of willingness to commit.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Julie Henry, Alan Milne and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.