Abstract

This research investigates the search behavior of individuals in the context of mate selection. That is, how much information individuals search for prior to initiating mating relationships? What information individuals deem important when searching for mates? How much information individuals require before rejecting mates? Evolutionary psychology was employed to understand the effects of gender, temporal condition (i.e., short-term vs. long-term relationship) and self-perception (i.e., self-perceived desirability as a mate). In Study 1, it was predicted that females would be more selective than males and that this relationship would be moderated by the temporal condition of the relationship. However, it was found that males sought more information than females, but females rejected more mating alternatives than males. This relationship was moderated by the temporal context of the relationship with the behavior of females unaffected by temporal condition but males becoming more selective in the long-term condition. Study 2 served as an exploratory study into the search processes (core attributes heuristic use, threshold use, rate of decay) employed by individuals seeking mates. Gender and temporal condition did not affect core attributes use, the number of attributes acquired, threshold use, and the rate of decay of the threshold. However, gender and temporal condition affected mate preferences (the attributes considered important when searching for information). Self-perception also influenced the degree of search, with higher self-perception associated with a greater degree of search effort. The implications of these findings are discussed.