TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of attractiveness and social status on dating desire in heterosexual adolescents
T2 - An experimental study
AU - Ha, Thao
AU - Overbeek, Geertjan
AU - Engels, Rutger C.M.E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements Thao Ha was supported by a Mozaiek grant and Geertjan Overbeek by a VENI grant, both from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, during the preparation of this article.
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - The present study examined to what extent adolescent dating desire is based on attractiveness and social status of a potential short-term partner. Further, we tested whether self-perceived mate value moderated the relationship between dating desire and attractiveness of a potential partner. Data were used from a sample of 1,913 adolescents aged 13-18. Participants rated the importance of various characteristics of a potential partner and also participated in an experimental vignette study in which dating desire was measured with either low or high attractive potential partners having either a high or low social status. The results showed that boys rated attractiveness as more important than girls, while social status was rated as relatively unimportant by both sexes. In addition, in the experimental vignette study, it was found that attractiveness was the primary factor for boys' dating desire. Only when a potential partner was attractive, social status became important for boys' dating desire. For girls, on the other hand, it appeared that both attractiveness and social status of a potential partner were important for their dating desire. Finally, boys and girls who perceived themselves as having a high mate value showed more dating desire toward an attractive potential partner compared to adolescents who perceived themselves as having a low mate value. The present results extend previous research by showing that attractiveness of a potential partner is important to both adolescent boys and girls, but social status does not strongly affect dating desire during this particular age period.
AB - The present study examined to what extent adolescent dating desire is based on attractiveness and social status of a potential short-term partner. Further, we tested whether self-perceived mate value moderated the relationship between dating desire and attractiveness of a potential partner. Data were used from a sample of 1,913 adolescents aged 13-18. Participants rated the importance of various characteristics of a potential partner and also participated in an experimental vignette study in which dating desire was measured with either low or high attractive potential partners having either a high or low social status. The results showed that boys rated attractiveness as more important than girls, while social status was rated as relatively unimportant by both sexes. In addition, in the experimental vignette study, it was found that attractiveness was the primary factor for boys' dating desire. Only when a potential partner was attractive, social status became important for boys' dating desire. For girls, on the other hand, it appeared that both attractiveness and social status of a potential partner were important for their dating desire. Finally, boys and girls who perceived themselves as having a high mate value showed more dating desire toward an attractive potential partner compared to adolescents who perceived themselves as having a low mate value. The present results extend previous research by showing that attractiveness of a potential partner is important to both adolescent boys and girls, but social status does not strongly affect dating desire during this particular age period.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Attractiveness
KW - Dating desire
KW - Sexual strategies theory
KW - Status
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U2 - 10.1007/s10508-009-9561-z
DO - 10.1007/s10508-009-9561-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 19830538
AN - SCOPUS:77957749138
SN - 0004-0002
VL - 39
SP - 1063
EP - 1071
JO - Archives of Sexual Behavior
JF - Archives of Sexual Behavior
IS - 5
ER -