Chapter 9

Lecture Notes

One prominent theoretical explanation for human mating is the sexual strategies theory. The Sexual Strategies Theories by Buss addresses gender differences in short and long-term heterosexual relationships from an evolutionary mating perspective.

It emphasizes that males and females differ in their preferred traits in partners as well as their strategies for commitment. The most fundamental difference is that women are predicted to be most selective in mate choices for both short-term and long-term relationships given the costs of reproduction. In contrast, in choosing a short-term partner, the man may want to minimize commitment. Once a man commits to a long-term relationship, the costs increase and the level of choosiness is also predicted to increase.The evolutionary biologist believes that men's short-term mating strategy is based on a desire for sexual variety, regardless of global culture, relationship status, or sexual orientation.