TY - JOUR
T1 - The ideal romantic partner personality
AU - Figueredo, Aurelio José
AU - Sefcek, Jon Adam
AU - Jones, Daniel Nelson
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2006/8
Y1 - 2006/8
N2 - Most contemporary social psychological studies on inter-personal attraction have independently explored the competing concepts of similarity and complementarity. Incorporating evolutionary principles associated with assortative mating, two studies were conducted that examined individual difference preferences using the five-factor model (FFM) of human personality as assessed by the NEO-FFI. The first study (N = 104) examined the degree to which individuals showed an absolute or relative preference in an "ideal romantic partner" when compared to self-rated personality. The second study (N = 161) extended this by incorporating personality ratings for self, "ideal" romantic partner, and "actual" romantic partner, and perceptions of mate value for each. Overall, findings supported both evolutionary and social psychological theories of inter-personal attraction and support both relative and absolute preferences in romantic partners. Individuals sought mates that were matches of themselves to some degree (a concept that we termed aspirational positive assortative mating) but also sought mates that were somewhat higher in Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Mate Value, but lower in Neuroticism than themselves.
AB - Most contemporary social psychological studies on inter-personal attraction have independently explored the competing concepts of similarity and complementarity. Incorporating evolutionary principles associated with assortative mating, two studies were conducted that examined individual difference preferences using the five-factor model (FFM) of human personality as assessed by the NEO-FFI. The first study (N = 104) examined the degree to which individuals showed an absolute or relative preference in an "ideal romantic partner" when compared to self-rated personality. The second study (N = 161) extended this by incorporating personality ratings for self, "ideal" romantic partner, and "actual" romantic partner, and perceptions of mate value for each. Overall, findings supported both evolutionary and social psychological theories of inter-personal attraction and support both relative and absolute preferences in romantic partners. Individuals sought mates that were matches of themselves to some degree (a concept that we termed aspirational positive assortative mating) but also sought mates that were somewhat higher in Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Mate Value, but lower in Neuroticism than themselves.
KW - Assortative mating
KW - Big-five
KW - Mate value
KW - Personality
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U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2006.02.004
DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2006.02.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33745743016
VL - 41
SP - 431
EP - 441
JO - Personality and Individual Differences
JF - Personality and Individual Differences
SN - 0191-8869
IS - 3
ER -