The study that put mating on the map and helped to spark a scientific revolution: ‘Sex differences in human mate preferences: evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures’ (Buss, 1989)

William Costello and David M. Buss

Chapter 18 in Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology, 2026, pp 302-342 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Abstract: Prior to this now-classic article, evolutionary hypotheses were rare in the social sciences and largely dismissed as ‘just-so stories.’ The domain of human mating, moreover, was all but ignored in psychology. This article changed that landscape. It helped to establish evolutionary psychology as a vibrant and viable scientific perspective. It put mating on the map, not as a domain of peripheral interest, but one that is central to human conduct. It also showed that evolutionary psychological hypotheses, if precisely specified in advance of empirical study, could indeed be tested and potentially falsified. This chapter looks back at the groundbreaking contributions of Buss's (1989) cross-cultural study, which examined the mate preferences of over 10,000 individuals across 37 cultures. The study uncovered universal patterns: men prioritize youth and physical attractiveness as cues of reproductive value, while women have a greater preference for resources and qualities that indicate long-term provisioning ability. These findings not only challenged prevailing theories in the social sciences, but also laid the foundation for evolutionary psychology, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize the psychological sciences. This chapter details the study's progressive methodology and key findings before reflecting on how, with the knowledge of modern technologies and hindsight, certain aspects of the study might have been refined. It concludes with personal reflections from the author, offering a behind-the-scenes account of the study's origins, the skepticism it faced, and the challenges of conducting a massive cross-cultural project in a pre-internet era.

Keywords: Sex Differences; Mate Preferences; Evolutionary Psychology; Parental Investment Theory; Cross-cultural Research; Sexual Selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332496
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